50% isn't good enough.

Today marks 33 years since my in-laws fully committed to love each other till death do they part, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their never ending devotion.

Wedding anniversaries should always, always, and ALWAYS be celebrated. Especially since 50% of first time marriages end in divorce in this country, and the statistics only get worse for subsequent marriages.

But it’s not only the marriage itself we should celebrate with wedding anniversaries. The IMPACT a marriage has on husband and wife, their families, and our society as a whole, is also just as worthy of honoring.

You can call me a punk, or someone who is still in the “honeymoon” stage of her marriage, who is floating high in the clouds captivated by young love’s bliss. And so what…I may not know as much about marriage as others who have more years under their belt, but having experienced marriage first-hand, I know it’s not always easy and it’s not always perfect…but it is most definitely ALWAYS worth fighting for.

My husband and I both grew up with parents who didn’t have the word divorce in their vocabularies. They were consistent in choosing love, especially when it wasn’t always comfortable. One reason why today is such a special day in my life is because I know Joseph wouldn’t be the amazing husband he is without the witness of his parents selfless love. So basically while I was growing up, my in-laws marriage was already positively impacting brace-face, acne populated me, long before I knew who they were and the huge role they would come to play in my post-puberty life…pretty sweet! If I weren’t pregnant, I’d totally toast to them tonight with a fancy drink, but for now my watered-down Gatorade will have to do. :)

I’m also extremely grateful for life-long marriages and the effect they’ve had on the lives of those who didn’t have the same example. That’s why wedding anniversaries should be societal celebrations because ~love is love~ and it will continuously find a way of influencing you, even indirectly. Just like Spades (one of my favorite card games) illustrates, someone else’s hand can still profoundly impact your fortune, even though it wasn’t directly dealt to you.

For those of you who are wondering, no those arent my in-laws in the picture. That’d be pretty sweet if I had a picture of them like that from their wedding day. But since I don’t, Joseph and I will have to do. Plus, him not letting me go is a tribute to them and their testament to love.

And to my in-laws ~ I’m sorry, but the shipping date of your gift wasn’t exactly verifiable and apparently she’ll be a little late. :)

:: victoria marie