33 years

Today, John and I are celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary. I’m sure that there are some who placed bets that we wouldn’t make it this long. We are quite opposite, to be sure, but we started this marriage with a promise to see it through to the end, and we aren’t the type to break our promises. The other day, I was talking with a friend and she commented how, after 30 years of marriage, she had finally learned that there is no use trying to change her husband. I don’t think I actually quit trying for 31 years, but I did eventually figure out this important truth. There is no way I’m going to change John. Heaven knows I’ve tried, but you know what? Once I gave up trying, I was a lot happier. I’m sure John was, too. My comment to my friend was, “all those people getting divorced after 25 years of marriage are just giving up too soon. If they could just hold on for five more years, they might make it!”

There is a Bible verse in Titus 2:4 that says “These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children.” It seems, much to my dismay, that I am now one of the older women. This means I need to pass this truth onto the young girls in my life. Quit trying to change your husbands. It’s not going to happen. Learn to appreciate what’s good about them. Or, as my former mentor, Linda, told me, “stop looking at the hole and focus on the donut.” I’m glad I did. I love my man!