That is great to know..I have been married for 29 years and I would not change for anything in this lifetime either

Thanks for starting this forum, Teacup. I've been married for 24 years and I hope this is a place where we can share the good, bad and ugly of this perplexing institution...:)

Thanks for the invitation teacup. I have been happily married for 14 and half years to my best friend. Although we have disagreements some times, we hardly ever argue and it is wonderful to have your best friend around all the time. As tweedledum said I hope we will be able to share with each other the up and downs of married life.

Doc,

Agree with you quote "The saying "sleep is such a waste of time" is so true for me." My wife hates it that I get by on 4 1/2 to 5 hours of sleep - has been this way for 40 years and I Love it ... and she needs he 8 to 9 hours.

Leighton

thanks for the invite Teacup - married happily for 29 years!!!

I hope this is the group where we don't have to listen to the discourse about how multiple partners - serially, contiguously or all at the same time and place - is a better alternative to the vicissitudes of a long-term one-to-one commitment. Though marriage is not a perfect state - I don't believe it was ever intended to be - I believe that its advantages over any other form of relationship is an unqualified success.

Of course, I am speaking as a once-married - forty yeards and thriving - and most often pleased about my choice. My marriage has lasted through all of the events that fate could throw our way. At our age, the breakdown and ultimate deaths of all four of our parents, though in its natural order and expected, has caused more than one marriage to dissolve. Only one of four of our parents required long-term care prior to death. The other three had the decency to live well and die in short order. Still, each changes the fabric of our existences and could have been seen as stressors to a weaker union.

The birth of a handicapped child has done-in more marriages than infidelity, money problems and psychosis combined. His subsequent death at 22 years and 22 days also is an event that has torn many couples asunder because of failure to deal with the emotional consequences.

For us, that which did not kill us made us stronger as a couple.

Of course there were upsides to our life. We lived an adventure. Both of us experienced successful careers and had the requisite fifteen minutes of fame promised by Andy Warhol. That could have been a stressor too because it took each of us away from family for periods of time. We lived all over the country. Our remaining son and granddaughter became celebrities in the music and now stage acting industries. Following their successes is a wonderful avocation for these still active years but after my career has ended and my wife's is in its last years.

Maybe there are "secrets" we need to examine to better understand why we were the ones who look like we are going to fulfill the vows we made back in the sixties when the fabric of the institution of marriage itself was under attack by a generation whose idea of a perfect union consisted of the attachment of sex organs under the influence of a variety of chemical additives.

The last drug we took was the vaccination given children at birth, a year and five years of age. The next drug we take will be a blood thinner or a cholesterol reducer; our age makes us susceptible to doctors believing that their potions can extend the quality of our lives through better living through chemistry. During the drop out, tune in, turn on era of Leary, we were too busy trying to find ways to help others through our professional interventions. Alcohol was a toast at our wedding and a sacramental element of Passover. We never saw c=conviviality through artificial means as anything but a soporific that wears off and leaves you either dependent on its reuse or unable to function without see it as a central element in life. I believe that alcohol fuels as many unnecessary fights because inhibitions are lowered and minds are put on hold but that is just my opinion. You are welcome to be a souse or the spouse of a souse if you choose.

Anyway, thanks for allowing me a place to rant. If it causes one other person to think about his or her values, I have succeeded in doing something constructive today.

Now I have to run to the eye surgeon. I had a cataract dissolved by laser last week and then need to check to make sure i won't sue them. Sue them? I can see. Why would I sue them. Of course, what I see out in the world would gag a maggot but that is a different story for another day.

Lollipops and unicorns.

First married him 42 years ago. Remarried him 18 years ago. We don't have a lot in common except for our love for one another and our commitment to our marriage. We do have a lot of fun together and are content with each others company.Everyday I give him the gift of life.( he snores a lot and very loud )Every morning he greets me with, ' Good morning beautiful ', then he ducks.He's become a very smart man over the years. He's almost house trained and broken in, no way would I trade him.

Milt, Eye hope things goes well for you today. I'll keep an eye out.

Thanks, teacup. To Milt: You are always so kind, helping many of us fellow tbder's, so I just wanted to wish you well with your vision problems.

I haven't had much time on tbd lately, but will try to post here sometimes. My wonderful hubby and I've been together for 30 years, and married,with children, ages 25 and 23, for 28 years.

It's not been a cake-walk, nor bed of roses, and we've weathered many, many storms, which would take years to write about. However, we've come out stronger and more in love than ever! A huge key for us, is that we have open and honest communication, and love sharing the little, simple things.