The Secret To A Successful Marriage

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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.

Comments

10 responses to “The Secret To A Successful Marriage”

June 8, 2010

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.

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June 8, 2010

Amber

Sweetest thing I’ve read all day!

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June 9, 2010

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 :)

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June 9, 2010

Emily Jane

LOL awwwww that’s so sweet!!

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June 9, 2010

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!

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June 9, 2010

Rae

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

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June 9, 2010

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.

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June 9, 2010

Elizabeth

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

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June 10, 2010

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

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June 13, 2010

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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