SMART Living 365

Ideas to create a more happy, peaceful and rewarding life--365!

Five Big Ways My Marriage Differs From My Mother’s

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Filed under: Meaningful, Thankful

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Wedding Photos —Thom & Kathy–in the mountains above Colorado Springs 1977————Alice & Rudy, Burwell, NE 1951

This week Thom and I celebrate our 37th Wedding Anniversary. Whew! It’s strange to think that I’ve been married longer than many people I know have been alive. It’s even weirder to think that when we met all those many years ago I had the foresight to know that Thom was the one. Not just one, but THE ONE. Obviously, my life as I know it would have been dramatically different with any other man, Plus I would probably be much different than the person I now know myself to be. In the big picture, I’m sure there are several reasons why we’ve lasted while so many other good people haven’t. But one thing I know for sure is that my marriage to Thom differs tremendously from both my parent’s marriage and that of my in-laws in a couple of very distinct ways. And perhaps that offers some clues to others who would like to create a marriage of a lifetime.

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The Best Marriages Get Better & Better—Thirty Five Years & Still Counting

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Filed under: Meaningful, Sustainable

Our Wedding Photo 10.9.1977

This last Tuesday was Thom and my 35th Wedding Anniversary.  I’m delighted to say that not only is our marriage getting better every single year, the experience has been more than I ever imagined.   And believe me, both of us had pretty high expectations.  In fact, before Thom would even agree to marry (yes, I asked him), we both vowed that we would end the relationship if it dissolved and we became miserable.  Where did we get such an idea?  It surfaced because neither one of us could remember a couple ever telling us how much better a marriage could be over the long haul.  That’s why I’m here to confirm that not only can it grow, deepen and transcend—if you are with the right partner, are reasonably lucky, and follow certain guidelines, a good and healthy relationship is one of the very best things you can do to live a happy and SMART life 365.

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