A Journey Through Marriage

We met at seventeen, married at twenty-three. Every day brings its share of disagreements, small differences of opinion.

“You can’t even make up your mind about something you love, like going to the footy match.”

I am decisive, and indecision drives me mad.

I am so organized that the sight of his shoes lying on the living room carpet bothers me.

“Move them, put your gardening tools in the garage, don’t let them clutter the garden.”

“But I’ll need them again…”

“No, put them away and take them out when you need them.”

He says I nag too much.

And so it goes on.

Where should we go for a holiday? What to eat at a restaurant?

“You can never decide, always hesitating ahhg!”

We have disagreements about our sons and extended family. The list is endless.

Not a bed of roses. Are any relationships? But people leave after five years, ten years, thirty years. Our son’s wife just left him after thirty years of marriage.

Husband, you have been and are a good father. You do anything for me. Nothing is too much trouble. You wait on me hand and foot when I am sick. No, you’re not romantic, but now that you’ve retired, you try with cards and flowers.

But do I really need those?

No.

What I cherish are the years we’ve shared, the ups and downs we’ve faced, and the bond we’ve formed, which can never be broken except by death.

Today marks our wedding anniversary, a momentous occasion that feels both like a decade and yet just yesterday.

Over the years, life has evolved, and so have we, growing and adapting together through the myriad changes.

We’ve faced life’s highs and lows, with arguments and disagreements serving as opportunities for growth, provided we embraced the lessons learned from one another.

As we journey forward, our most poignant conversations often revolve around the inevitable: how will we navigate life when one of us departs from this world?

The profound question lingers — how will we cope without the support and companionship that has been the cornerstone of our lives together?

This stands as the greatest challenge we will ever face.

What will become of one when the other is gone?

No more gentle chiding or spirited debates that sometimes escalate into fierce arguments, almost like battles.

And no one left who understands you more deeply than anyone else in this world.

So, on this, our fifty-eighth wedding anniversary, I write this love letter to you, my beloved husband, to express my enduring affection and gratitude for the journey we’ve shared.

My Dearest Chris,

You said, ‘You are a part of me, You are my Life.’

I want to tell you now; ‘You are In me.’

Looking down the tunnel of our love, I haven’t told you enough how much you mean to me. It would seem I have taken for granted all those years that you have loved me unconditionally.

You have been my mother, father, brother, sister, husband, lover, and best friend, all rolled into one.

A man who has seen me mature from a young seventeen-year-old to the woman I am today.

You have stood by me through thick and thin: my tantrums, success and loss in business, and the heartbreak over the passing of my doggie sons.

You lived your life for me, through me and with me.

Nothing you did for me was ever a chore.

You gave your life to us — me, our sons, and all the furry kids.

I often called you my ‘pack horse’. You have carried me all my life.

Everything I am today, you have taught me, not by telling, but by shining example.

You are my guardian angel. My Rock.

With you I have experienced an awesome adventure that has taken me into the deep recesses of my heart and opened doors I never knew existed. I discovered the hidden power within myself.

In the languages of the world, there are countless references to the feelings of the heart.

Over the years, I came to realise these feelings contain within them a power to seek, to understand, to do.

You have helped me unravel an understanding of this untapped source of energy within myself.

I have realised that heart-power is the electricity of my inner strength and potential.

It’s what gives me the self-motivated ability to manifest and complete goals, to empower, and to achieve balance and fulfilment, even in today’s increasingly stressful world.

Fifty-eight years today have passed since we met, playing ‘the honeymoon game’. The Red Shoe Romance

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind, it’s a temper of will, a quality of the imagination, a vigour of the emotions. It is a freshness of the deep springs of life.

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years; people grow old by deserting their ideals and dreams.

You are etched in my heart forever.

Stephanie ♥

Am I qualified to speak on the subjects of relationships and marriage?

Indeed, I am. As a qualified Counsellor and a Lifeline Crisis Supporter, I possess the professional credentials to do so. However, I firmly believe that no qualification can rival the depth of wisdom gleaned from personal experience.

My writings are infused with the richness of my own journey through love and life, offering insights that are both heartfelt and profoundly real.

Thank you for reading dear friends and lovers ღ.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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