40 years of marriage….what that means to me

This past Sunday my parents celebrated their 40^th anniversary. What a milestone. An unfathomable milestone to me. For over 40 years they’ve loved the same person, they’ve grown together, they’ve learned together and most of all, they’ve perfected the art of compromise. Life has not always been sunshine & roses nor has their marriage; and there were times growing up I thought for sure they would meet the same fate as many of my friends’ parents.

But here they are all these years later, not only married, but happy. They complete each other. They enjoy each others’ company. They travel, they shop, and they go to restaurants and movies. They are definitely each others’ true loves. Soul mates. In Yiddish, we say that they are each others, “Besheret” or meant to be.

As I drove home from the celebration Sunday night it made me really start thinking of how much more this anniversary meant. My parents 40 year marriage means that I have always had a safe home to go to when I needed it. It made me realize that no matter what I’ve gotten myself into, what I’ve gone through or been plagued by, in the end my parents, as a whole, have always been there. They’ve been the most permanent, stable force in my life.

I’m not trying to say that we always agree, certainly we do not. But these are my parents. The people who brought me into this world. Who endured sleepless nights, who rocked me as a baby. Kissed my boo boo’s. Who raised me with the best morals and values they knew how to. They made monetary sacrifices so that I had the best of everything. And on top of it, they put up with me during my teenage years and have continued to stand by me through the very low points.

I am so proud of my parents for reaching this milestone. Thank you mom & dad for the sacrifices & compromises you’ve made that provided this amazing role model of how a marriage should be. What true love really looks like, and that it does really exist. Thank you for being my home and my safe place to go always.

I can only dream of finding a man who loves me as deeply & wholly as my dad loves my mom. I hope that I can spend as many years as possible with my true love when I do find him, and that I am lucky enough to reach a 40^th anniversary milestone!

I love you mom & dad more than anything and could not be more proud to call you my parents.

Love, Traci xoxo

some pics of them (& me) through the years, just had to share!