Is It Okay To Post This If It's Not My Anniversary?...

When Brandon and I got married (years ago), we were given a black and white copy of an article that was published in a magazine back in what looks to be the 60's. I've always loved it. I think it expresses some serious truth concerning marriage.
I count myself very fortunate every day to have a husband who loves me. A husband who is patient with me. And a husband who has a desire to be with me. But, not only that, I am grateful for my love for him. I am grateful that I want to be better for him. I am grateful I have the desire to make him happy, to make him smile, and to help him with whatever he needs. I am grateful we respect each other. I am grateful we both want it to work. I am grateful we are both committed to our marriage. I am also very grateful that we are both smart enough to realize that we aren't always right. :)
I am grateful every day for my marriage. I am grateful for my best friend. The man who makes me better and is patient when I'm not.
I wanted to share this so when I make my blog into books for my children it will be in there so they can read it. (Also, I'm notorious for loosing things. knock on wood.)

What is Marriage (Dan Valentine)

A marriage is many things...
It's a partnership.
It's a love affair.
It's a lasting, trusting friendship between two people who like each other enough to spend forever together.

What is marriage?

It's the most successful invention of mankind.
Cynics scoff at it... the weak allow it to slip through their fingers... the arrogant and selfish fail at it...
Lovers make it work.
It takes many ingredients to make a marriage: A man with a soul, a woman with a heart - two human beings who care.

Marriage is... a friendly hand to hold in the night... and accidental meeting of the eyes, and a private smile, across a room full of strangers.

Marriage is... two hearts singing one song... a melody that plays on over the years.

Marriage is...never being alone in the world.

Married people share things... like sunsets and shooting stars and harvest moons...
And Christmas mornings... and the laughter of young children playing.

Marriage is...
Laughing together, drying each other's tears... boosting each other's hopes... making each other's dreams come true.

Marriage is...
Being frightened together, and brave together... and happy and blue and sad together.

Marriage is...
Being young together and old together... and sharing all the wonderful in-between years together.

Not all marriages work. Not all marriages are successful.
Some lack the courage for it...others do not have the compassion and the true heart marriage demands.
Some marriages fall apart in the middle... other marriages burn themselves out in the heat of young passion.
Marriage demands mature discipline that is not given to all young lovers.
But when a marriage is a blending of true love and true respect it is a beautiful magical moment that lasts a lifetime.

It's the most wonderful institution of civilization.

Marriage is a man looking at a woman and saying to himself, "I'm glad she belongs to me."

Marriage is a woman stealing a glance at a man and saying to herself in a silent whisper: "I'm so glad he's mine."

Marriage is serenity with excitement.... dignity with laughter.
Marriage is cupping a loving face in the hands... and kissing tender, welcome lips.
Marriage is remembering things together... like walks in the rain, young laughter, special songs of other days... the warmth of a fireplace on a winter's evening.

Marriage is finding happiness by making another person happy...

Marriage is feeling sorry for all the lonely people in the world who have never been touched with it's special magic.

But most of all, marriage is ... never feeling alone in the world.

That's what marriage is...