The Secret To A Successful Marriage

June 8, 2010

I was checking on one of my patients, a sweet eighty-year-old lady, and was about to leave the room when she caught my hand.

Her: Are you married? Let me see your ring. (Looks at ring.) Ooh, that’s so pretty! How long have you been married?

Me: About a year and a half.

Her: Aww, I bet he’s a good one.

Me: Yep. I love him.

Her: I think that’s so great. I’ve been married for sixty years now, and I still love mine. Of course when you get older it’s different. It was really hard when we found out that I had cancer, but you have to go somehow! My husband and I dealt with it and then he told me we’d just be together till the end. I told him we’d better be! He’d look like a dog if he divorced me now. And then he said he guessed it would make his widower possibilities pretty bleak.

Me: I’m glad you can keep a sense of humor about it!

Her: Well, you have to.

Posted in: personal, conversations, personal


Comments on The Secret To A Successful Marriage

  1. 1

    From Nora:

    This made me all teary-eyed. What a sweet portrayal of marriage. :) Thanks for sharing (and a reminder to live each day to the fullest.)

    Most random side note: I think you’re an angel for being a nurse. No way could I do what you do, day in and day out.

  2. 2

    From Amber:

    Sweetest thing I’ve read all day!

  3. 3

    From dadman:

    thanks for sharing that kat. I figure marriage is like your Mom’s chili, good on day one but better if it’s allowed to marinate for a while :)

  4. 4

    From Emily Jane:

    LOL awwwww that’s so sweet!!

  5. 5

    From Taryn:

    I love getting marriage advice from older folks. Invariably, it always seems to include booze of some sort. Gotta keep your sense of humor up! And your Dad’s comment…THE CUTEST!

  6. 6

    From Rae:

    Bittersweet. I like it when older people share good (not too cynical) advice.

  7. 7

    From Stephany:

    I love that! Older people have so much more wisdom, and sometimes their advice comes out of nowhere and you just have to roll with it. She sounds like an awesome lady.

  8. 8

    From Elizabeth:

    How adorable! My husband and I make jokes like that, but it’s so sweet to hear about it from an older person.

  9. 9

    From Uncle David:

    The wife and I thank each other all the time for little things. It makes a big difference. Thanks for doing the dishes, thanks for making the bed, thanks for vacuuming and etc. Everyone needs to feel special and appreciated. I read a study about men running around and turns out they don’t go for the sweet young thing so much as they go for the woman that “understands” them, makes them feel “appreciated”. So – say thank you dear every chance you get.
    Uncle D

  10. 10

    From steph anne:

    Aww, you can tell that they had a good life together and still going strong at it. We all deserve the same thing!

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