Maybe you can help me understand. I find difficulty with the recent announcement by Al and Tipper Gore that they are separating after 40 years of marriage.  Maybe I find this difficult because my paternal grandparents were married nearly 50 years when my grandfather passed away.  Maybe I find this difficult because my maternal grandparents were married over 50 years when my grandmother passed away.  Maybe this is disturbing because my parents celebrate their 50th anniversary TODAY – well today is their anniversary, but we will celebrate later.  What ever happened to “for better or for worse?”  What ever happened to making a commitment for life?  Why are so many couples giving up?

Here is some advice for sticking together.

1. Remember that love is not only a warm emotion.
2. Love is sacrificial toward the other person.
3. Love will grow if you will feed it.
4. Make more deposits in your spouse’s “love bank” than you do withdrawals.
5. Be the best person you can be for your spouse.
6. Marriage is not a 50% -50% venture.  My dad taught us that marriage is a 100% venture.  You give 100% to your spouse and anything they give in return is a bonus.
7. Continue to court your spouse, write love notes, bring flowers, chocolates, or whatever they like as a regular token of love.
8. Help them with the work they do around the house, yard, etc.  Amy and I cook together, clean house together, garden together, mow the yard together, etc.  Did you notice the key word – TOGETHER.
9. Learn to laugh together.
10. Learn how to cope (together) with problems that arise.
11. Spend time with each other — For Amy and me I do not think we can spend too much time together.

I think I’ll go home for lunch.