fifty [two]!

I'm pretty sure most bloggers have a number of unpublished posts lurking just behind the scenes.  Backstage of "Backside" is no exception.  Many unfinished thoughts of the author are shelved and dusty behind the veil of what you read.

These may be ones that have been stopped, started, deleted, rewritten, edited and tabled many times.  For reasons I may or may not fully understand, this is one of those posts.  It has been in progress since June of 2013...

In June of 2013, my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage together.  If you're alert, that means they are at 52 years as of this post.  For two years I've been trying to figure out just what to say about that and I still haven't quite figured it out.

And then... while the post was sitting around collecting dust, another swell couple joined them.  This past May, my Uncle Charles and Aunt Jean celebrated their 50 year milestone!

It's been bugging me that I haven't polished and posted this.  But, I haven't yet experienced even 50 years of life (which means, if you're alert again, my parents followed the rules), so what do I know about 50 years of marriage?

Probably not much!

But, here's what I came up with...

It's pretty cool!

And... it's pretty hard!

Yep... profound, right?

Doesn't that kinda sum it up, though?

How cool is it that two folks make a lifetime commitment and then actually keep their promise to each other?  How cool is 50 years of work, and friendship, and learning, and trying, and mistakes, and victories, and memories, and apologies, and forgiveness, and acceptance, and laughter, and tears, and change, and graying, and vacations, and photos, and fears, and encouragements, and much more... and all with the one person you chose for life by your side?  Well, you'd have to ask those who have achieved it, but I think it's pretty cool!

And yet, 17+ years has shown me that it isn't easy!  Some make it look easier than others, but it's hard work no matter how good at it you are.  I'm sure it wasn't as easy as both of the couples featured above made it look!

Some assume that 50 year marriages don't happen much anymore.  I'm not sure that's the case.  While they may not be quite as common as in my parent's and grandparent's generations, many of my age peers (or near-age peers) are celebrating 20-something and approaching 30-something year anniversaries.  Granted, even with that many years traveled together, not all of these folks may make it to 50.  But, I suspect a number of them are well on their way.

So, congratulations to my parents.  Thanks for giving me a solid family in which to be raised and thanks for standing by each other all these years.  Congratulations, to my aunt and uncle, as well.  May you all be blessed with many more years together.  And, hats off to my happily-married age peers.  Keep proving that it's not just our parent's generation that can build lasting marriages!