35 Years and Counting

Today, thirty-five years ago, I married the love of my life.

I know it’s been fun because time flew since.

Every year is the most romantic year ever.  So I thought I’d turn today into an advice column for those who would like to celebrate even more than thirty-five years of marriage.

35.  Date night –once a week if possible.
34.  Birthdays and anniversaries and holidays count.
33.  Ordinary time counts even more.
32.  Write letters to each other.
31.   Be kind, even when you’re tired, frustrated or upset –this doesn’t mean you don’t say what you feel, only that you anchor all you say, even the ugly stuff, in love.
30.  Learn to pray for your spouse every day.
29.  Learn to pray with your spouse every day.
28.  Play games together.
27.  Read together.
26.  Learn something together –like cooking or gardening or painting, something neither knows well before you start.
25.  Make sure each takes care of their friends (not just couples, but friends from before).
24.  Take care of each other.
23.  Hold hands.
22.  Go to mass together, not just on Sundays.
21.  Take walks together.
20.  Create traditions.
19.   Dance.
18.   Sleep in.
17.   Stay up late together.
16.   Learn from each other.
15.   Host dinners.
14.   Put notes in the lunch box or purse.  Outdo each other in notes.
13.   Every anniversary, if you can, rewatch your wedding.
12.   Sing to each other –especially if it’s silly.
11.    Never understimate the power of a foot rub.
10.   Encourage each other to puruse things that challenge.
9.     Challenge each other to work on those flaws so they don’t cement, so they don’t become excuses to not try to become better.
8.     Be brave –speak when someone is wrong.  Be willing to speak when the other needs to hear.
7.     Listen, when the one you love is being brave.
6.     Take care of yourselves too.
5.     Keep the history of your family, and of your lives.
4.    Read stories to your children, no matter how old they are.
3.    Hold fast to each other.
2.    Say I love you often, and make sure you stop to hear those words.

1.    Remember God is at the center, and that your job with each other, is to be a reflection of God’s love to each other.

P.S. The best is always before us, if we remember to love in all our seasons.