vrijdag, 19 november 2004

Everlasting love

It’s my grandparents 63rd wedding anniversary today. 63 years together. Can you imagine? Waking up next to the same person for 63 years? They have spend the majority of their lives – 70 percent to be exact – together. They are completely grown together. I don’t think that if one of them dies, the other will live much longer.

Anyway, for them, today was a day like any other day. He brought her tea, she made him breakfast. They don’t believe in giving each other gifts anymore – ‘we have everything’. They say they won’t do anything special on this special day… They lie, they do. She bakes him an apple pie and he buys her yellow carnations, just like he did on their wedding day. Thoughtful and sweet. Then the daily routine continues: a cup of coffee, lunch, she starts cooking diner. The routine is only disturbed by visiting children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I once asked them for the secret to their success. Grandpa answered: ‘It’s all about compromise, argue whenever you want – don’t bottle everything up – and make up as soon as possible.’ Grandma added: ‘Don’t give up too soon. We’ve had our share of difficulties, too, but people nowadays file for divorce as soon as things get rough. Fight for your marriage and don’t fall out of love with each other at the same moment.’

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