The Marriage Book: 50 Lessons From a 50 Year Marriage (ePub)

This past September, my husband Frank and I celebrated our 50th anniversary. 50 years sounds like an eternity when you are young and just embarking on the journey of life together; but in hindsight, it seems like a series of fleeting memories. We held an anniversary party at our house and invited all of our friends and family.

That night, we were repeatedly asked what it felt like to be married for 50 years. In the present moment, it was certainly a joyous occasion. After all, we have been blessed with three children and six grandchildren, we relatively good healthy for our age, and neither one of us has grown tired of the other, despite spending nearly every day for 50 years together.

Family members commented on how perfect we were for each other, and how we are suited well for each other. But this is not the key to our long-lasting marriage.
During these 50 years, we have endured a variety of challenges and even tragedies, which have tested our resolve countless times. It is how we learned to cope with life's obstacles that allowed our marriage to succeed.

The following are 50 lessons that we have learned throughout our marriage. Some are obvious, but often forgotten. Others are more nuanced and require great effort.

I cannot guarantee that your marriage will last as long as ours has, but these tips will certainly give you the tools you need to maximize your ability to work together as a team.