Recently, a friend mentioned that she had attended her college class reunion. “I had not seen many of these people in years,” she said, “but like me, most of these couples have been married 45 years or more. With today’s high divorce rate, I was a bit surprised.”
Covenant Marriage
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 1900, there were 709,000 marriages and 55,751 divorces. In 2004, the 2,279,000 marriages resulted in a 3.7 percent divorce rate per 1,000 population (estimates). The median age at first marriage in 2003 was 27.1 for males and 25.3 for females. Not only are there more divorces, but also both men and women marry later than several generations ago. Yet with improvements in health care, the longevity rate rises. This means more couples who stay together can expect to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary and beyond.
Some marriages cannot be measured by the quantity of years, but instead by the quality of the union.
One example is that of well-known author C.S. Lewis, who married late in life, and Joy Davidman. Lewis wrote, “H. and I feasted on love, every mode of it – solemn and merry, romantic and realistic, sometimes as dramatic as a thunderstorm, sometimes as comfortable and unemphatic as putting on your softslippers.”
Instead of the 40 or 50 years experienced in many marriages, they had only four years. Lewis died three years after his beloved Joy died of cancer. Yet his writings offer great insight into the true nature of marriage and love.
Simple Ways to Celebrate
If you’re like most senior adults, you celebrate your wedding anniversary, birthdays, Valentine’s Day,
and Christmas each year. But when you consider the blessings of having a long-time marriage partner, wouldn’t it be fun to celebrate more often?
Like other worthwhile things in life, any form of celebration requires some planning. However, senior adults report that those serendipitous occasions often provide the most fun and adventure. Some may be expensive; others may be low- or no-cost.
Here are some suggestions to make the most of your years as a couple.
Plan a vacation together. Have you dreamed of taking a cruise, a trip to Europe, or a summer excursion to Alaska? Expensive? Yes, but the time spent saving and planning for the trip adds to the pleasure.
Difficult? No. Working out the details of travel and sightseeing as a couple could be one of your best investments in the health of your marriage.
Check colleges and universities in your area for plays, musical performances, and concerts. Often free or low-cost, these provide cultural enrichment you’ll enjoy.
Written by Carolyn R. Tomlin
Covenant Marriage
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 1900, there were 709,000 marriages and 55,751 divorces. In 2004, the 2,279,000 marriages resulted in a 3.7 percent divorce rate per 1,000 population (estimates). The median age at first marriage in 2003 was 27.1 for males and 25.3 for females. Not only are there more divorces, but also both men and women marry later than several generations ago. Yet with improvements in health care, the longevity rate rises. This means more couples who stay together can expect to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary and beyond.
Some marriages cannot be measured by the quantity of years, but instead by the quality of the union.
One example is that of well-known author C.S. Lewis, who married late in life, and Joy Davidman. Lewis wrote, “H. and I feasted on love, every mode of it – solemn and merry, romantic and realistic, sometimes as dramatic as a thunderstorm, sometimes as comfortable and unemphatic as putting on your softslippers.”
Instead of the 40 or 50 years experienced in many marriages, they had only four years. Lewis died three years after his beloved Joy died of cancer. Yet his writings offer great insight into the true nature of marriage and love.
Simple Ways to Celebrate
If you’re like most senior adults, you celebrate your wedding anniversary, birthdays, Valentine’s Day,
and Christmas each year. But when you consider the blessings of having a long-time marriage partner, wouldn’t it be fun to celebrate more often?
Like other worthwhile things in life, any form of celebration requires some planning. However, senior adults report that those serendipitous occasions often provide the most fun and adventure. Some may be expensive; others may be low- or no-cost.
Here are some suggestions to make the most of your years as a couple.
Plan a vacation together. Have you dreamed of taking a cruise, a trip to Europe, or a summer excursion to Alaska? Expensive? Yes, but the time spent saving and planning for the trip adds to the pleasure.
Difficult? No. Working out the details of travel and sightseeing as a couple could be one of your best investments in the health of your marriage.
Check colleges and universities in your area for plays, musical performances, and concerts. Often free or low-cost, these provide cultural enrichment you’ll enjoy.
Written by Carolyn R. Tomlin
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