I went to a lovely wedding on Saturday, and it couldn't have been a better day for it. The weather gods were indeed smiling on this bride. After a rainy, stormy week, Saturday was sunny and 70 degrees, which is my bullseye for absolutely perfect in the meterological department. Michelle (the bride) is a third grade teacher, and on the back of the wedding program she had listed some of the marriage advice her students had given her. It was remarkably astute. For instance:
Always hear each other, never fight about silly things, tell the truth always.
LOVE each other. If you get in fights, remember the good times.
When you fight, don't yell or call names. On your anniversary, take him out to dinner. Spend time with him on the weekend and give him a kiss before you go to work. Eat dinner together at the table. Kiss him goodnight. And if he's sick, take care of him.
Wow. I was pretty impressed with these words of wisdom from eight year olds! But this is my favorite piece of advice, and it probably appealed to Michelle too, since she's a musician/performer:
Marriage is like a duet, when one sings the other claps.
That's a really nice analogy, I think, and anyone who has been married a long time knows the truth of it. One of the best things about having a good duet partner is that they support you all the way through the piece and applaud your efforts when you're done. They aren't out to prove they're a better musician than you, they rejoice in your success and bolster you when the music gets tricky.
I think this couple really has it all together, and will make good duet partners for life. Which is a good thing, because the last piece of advice was really more of a charge. It said:
You should be married FOREVER.
I hope they will be.