A few years back I read a wonderful article about Cutie and PopPop that inspired the deepest and most sincere longing for true love. I was an amazing account of the most adorable older couple who at the time had been married for 72 years. Made famous by this unavoidable beast we all know and love, known as the “internet”, their website shared each of their individual flare and the beautiful love they shared. I remember one touching part of the article which recounted a simple exchange between the two. “Out of the blue, Cutie utters her husband’s name:

‘Harry Cooper’.
A pause.
‘That is I.’
‘Thank you for taking care of me.’
‘It is my honor.'”

I mean really, does it get any cuter than that? It is love like this which just warms the depths of your soul. I checked in on the website recently and it seems PopPop has passed away, but Cutie has started writing books and an advice column. Overall they spent 73 years of their lives married. Could you imagine that? So few people even live that long, let alone at the side of the same person. Whether we have meant to or not, our society has created the assumption that either marriage will not last or you will be stuck and miserable. And considering the current divorce rates, we may not be far off. But oh the sweet and innocent smile that creeps onto our faces when we hear of a couple who went through life’s challenges together and enjoyed themselves. I am sure they fought, and no doubt they had their fair share of hard times, but they took time to make it an adventure and at the end of the road, there is love. In the good, in the bad, in the smiles and in the tears, there was love. And after 73 years of life, love only grows.

Of course to some extent I look at it and ask myself, “Am I be willing to spend the next 73 years of my life with the man I plan on marrying?” And if the answer is yes (which it is), what steps can I take now to make sure these years will be amazing for him and me? I do not think that a perfect marriage comes naturally for anyone. I recently heard the statement that marriage is the second strongest commitment in the world, second only to our commitment to God. What an astounding and staggering concept. Even more so for those who are not fortunate enough to have this commitment demonstrated for them by their parents. I am one of the few who have had an inspirational yet extremely realistic example of love represented to me by my parents, as has my future husband. However with the understanding of the complexity of sharing your life with another very different human being, we look forward now to hunting for valuable resources. And the most beautiful peculiarity is that to become the best couple we can be, we seek to be the best individuals we can be for ourselves and for each other. So we say, bring on the books, seminars, workshops, wise advice and prayer, above all prayer. And as always, there is so much left to learn. Thankfully we have another 73 years ahead of us, and the best is yet to come.