My recent column about couples celebrating long marriages sure
generated a lot of comments. I thought
these were wonderful. Here goes:
“My
folks, who were married 45 years when my mom passed away, always said that
‘date nights’ were important. Date nights didn’t include kids, just time
away from home doing something they enjoyed together. My mom always said
‘surprise’ date nights were the best,” recalled Leslie Blythe of Casper.
Diana Schutte Dowling, formerly of
Greybull, recalled that it helps to be raised by parents who also had a
long marriage. “My parents Art and Idell Schutte were married for 69
years. Before my mother died in 2005, I danced with my dad at our 50th. And he
continued to dance until his death at age 96.”
Steve Mossbrook of Riverton says he
and wife Sandy recently celebrated 44 years. He believes their secret is “a
common world view and a focus on remaining friends as everything else is
transitory.”
Judy Legerski of Lander says after
reflecting with her husband Don on their 50 years of wedded bliss, the
following seemed most important: “Patience, a sense of humor, shared laughter,
a faith in God, mutual respect, sharing much but allowing each the ability to
bloom in his/her own way, trust, open honest communication, and a willingness
to do things for each other.”
Dave Hanks of Rock Springs chimed
in with his four main thoughts on how they have enjoyed 33 years of marriage:
“Remember, no
matter what the question the correct response is: yes dear - that will be
fine dear- whatever you say dear. This is a tactic some of us males learn
quicker than others because in the end we know our loving wives will always do
what is in our best interest.
“Always
remember there is only one person you ultimately answer to on this planet.
“Your wife is
the person you need to be the most concerned about and what she thinks is the
most important, not my boss or family or friends (it’s all about her in a
good way).
“Think back to
the time you were pursuing the girl of your dreams, remember all those romantic
things you did? Well, make sure you still do them: hold hands, always say I
love you and remember she is still the girl of your dreams. My motto is: I love
you more today than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow.”
Attorney and
author John Davis and his wife will be celebrating their 50th this
September in Worland.
Long-time Associated Press writer
Joe McGowan says: “My parents married in Sheridan, moved a lot including my dad
as editor of Northern Wyoming Daily News
in Worland, editor of the Rock Springs
Rocket, editor of the Wyoming-Utah Labor Journal in Cheyenne and
owner/publisher, editor of the Green
River Star. They stayed married through the depression, good times
and bad, until unfortunately my dad died of throat cancer, a result of a
lifetime of smoking.”
Jean Mathisen Haugen of Lander
recalled how “my folks were married 56 years at the time my father passed away
and his parents and his mother`s parents were also married 50 years, at a time
when that was unusual. Since I didn`t marry until I was 51 and Ron was in
ill health, we only had 8 years togetherbut it was worth every minute.
It`s nice to hear about couples that stay together.”
Long-time
journalist Dave Simpson, Cheyenne, said: We celebrated 32 years together
yesterday. That`s 32 years in the second time we`ve been married to each other.
Got divorced in 1976 after two years, but decided in 1985 we weren`t so bad
after all and got back together. When we disagree, we say, ‘Well, we tried
divorce and that didn`t work, so I guess we have to work this out.’ (In
granting that divorce, Judge Vernon Bentley in Laramie said, ‘It wouldn`t
surprise me if you two got back together.’ The judge was prescient.) Our rule:
Don`t sweat the small stuff. And it`s just about all small stuff. Another rule:
No separate checking accounts. Just one.”
U.S. Sen. Mike
Enzi and wife Diana have been married 47 years. Mike has a ritual he goes
through every year on June 7, their anniversary. In Washington, D. C., the
place is full of young people who are living together and postponing
marriage. Mike says he always picks out
some young man and goes and has a fatherly talk with him about the benefits and
wonders of being married. And “by golly, it’s time you married this young gal
you have been going with for so long!”
He says it usually works.
He also made
the sobering observation: “It seems the more expensive the wedding; the less
likely the marriage will work out. Not
sure why that is the case but it sure seems to happen that way a lot,” he
concludes.
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