Fifty Years of Marriage

Today, February 17. 2013 is my parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. Fifty years is a long time to be married. When I was a child I often wondered what my parents saw in each other and sometimes why they stayed together. I know people say “opposites attract” but they are very opposite, not only in temperament but in their outlook on life as well. But they stayed together through all the hard times and I am certainly happy they are together.

I love the story my mother tells of how they fell in love. It was New Year’s Eve, and my mother went with some friends to a dance at an Italian club. She saw my father dancing and told her girlfriend, “I’m going to marry him.” If you could see my father dance, you would understand. He is still a great dancer and people stop dancing to watch them on the dance floor.

When they dance, my dad is in charge and my mom never questions. She says she can’t dance like that with anyone else. In day to day life though, it is not quite as smooth. I suppose that most marriages are like that in some way.

I do wonder, with people marrying later in life how many couples will celebrate this anniversary in the future? The disposable attitude our culture has towards marriage is of course another factor to consider. In this Year of Faith the United States Bishops have asked us to pray for the protection of Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty. They have set up a webpage, Call to Prayer: Pledge to Fast, with information on the initiative, links to weekly reflections and a sign up for the online pledge. This is certainly a worthwhile endeavor to participate in for our country and future generations.