In 1988 we completed a year of pre-marital counseling. Our church required the process before a marriage. We brought so much history from our lives and previous marriages(one each) that what would have taken twelve weeks took us much longer. The good news was that we had discussed every issue that would ever come up in the subsequent years. We have yet to hit a stumbling block that we hadn’t already talked through with the minister.
We seem to have gained some weight and lost some hair, but we are spending days together in covid isolation and enjoying the sequester. I can’t imagine having to do this with anyone else. We celebrated this year with a trip to pick up our share of the CSA(consumer supported agriculture) farm down the road. We stopped in at a friend’s stand for strawberries and picked up a delicious dinner from our favorite place, 2 Hopewell. More used to takeout now, we set the table, popped open all the containers, uncapped our nonalcoholic beer and toasted our years together.
Thank goodness for the sanity and safety our marriage provides. In these times of division and chaos across the country, we have our own quiet corner of life.
It sounds like you started with a solid foundation! Happy Anniversary! 🙂
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Thanks. I appreciate that they wouldn’t let us get married just because the church was pretty.
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Congratulations you two.
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I am duly impressed, Elizabeth. My three marriages have totalled (so far) 26 years. I am a long way behind you. But I never had any ‘counselling’. Maybe that is the secret?
Best wishes, and sincere congratulations, my American friend.
Pete. x
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We would not have lasted six months without all those meeting.
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Someone once said that, “To the young, marriage is a heaven; to the old, a haven.” After 51 years of marriage to the same woman, I call it a habit! 😉
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And a good habit for sure.
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That is great that you can still enjoy one another’s company after all this time. Hope you enjoy many more years.
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Thanks.
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Happy Anniversary to you both. You certainly had a great deal of support and encouragement from your church and congregation.
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Absolutely. And most families stayed together because they had the tools to work through things.
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Well done dear friends!Great pix. Love P&B
Sent from my iPad
>
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Thanks.
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You guys look so happy together! I think this is the first time I’m seeing a photo of him. Congrats!
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Well I posted a picture of him releasing a woodchuck, but it wasn’t as good as this photo. Thanks.
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I think I do remember that one! 😅 Was that super early this year or sometime last year?
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Last summer. After the woodchuck had eaten all my sunflowers.
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Now that you mention it, I remember it perfectly! 😅
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Congratulations. May you have many more wonderful years to come.
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Thanks.
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I enjoyed reading about your years together and this year’s celebration. Congratulations!
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Thanks Anne.
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Many more years of togetherness Elizabeth and hubby. Congrats!!!
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Thanks so much Arlene.
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Happy anniversary! A lovely post Elizabeth & very glad to hear counseling was invaluable to you both before you started your long journey together 😉
Blessings,
Jennifer
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Thanks.
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Wonderful! Many congratulations and may you share many more happy years together ❤️️
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Thanks.
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Happy Anniversary! I do remember the required counseling at our Episcopal church. We were married five months after we met. Still going strong forty-something years later. Covid has given us time to talk, and argue, and solve the problems of the world, etc. I LOVE your wedding photo, Elizabeth. Precious!
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Thanks. I am grateful that those hard discussions were mediated by the minister.
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You’re welcome. Religion is also philosophy (said the young man of his mandatory religion course at Exeter), and those discussions with your minister we’re just that. Mine were, too.
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Thanks for the wise young man’s comment!
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Wise, indeed!
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😊
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Happy anniversary, my friend, I would add that you laugh easily together, a joy to hear when I am in the vicinity!
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Thanks.
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Congratulations! You look happy together.
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Thanks. We generally are!
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Happy anniversary and thank for the encouragement you have provided with this post.
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You are welcome.
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