It’s National Spouses Day! (Yes, I know I’m a day late!) Say THANK YOU to your spouse just for being who they are, how they make you feel, how they enhance your life, what they do for your family, how they pay, or help pay, the bills….the list could go on and on.

Personally, I think they should have used a picture of a couple that had been married over 50 years for this day. If you make a relationship work that long, then you can brag you’ve made it. I know I’m jaded, but a couple as young as the one above hasn’t had time to climb the mountains and ford the raging rivers that happen in a relationship. To me it appears they are still thinking love can conquer anything. It sure as hell helps, but it’s not always true. People grow and change, or not, and if you aren’t growing together, all too often you are growing apart.

Wow! This got heavy really quick. Sorry.  I think you can guess I have experienced both types of relationships. Back to the real reason for writing this a day late. My husband is a loving, supportive spouse. He gets that when I make comments about a bad meal in a restaurant, I’m not complaining, I’m just stating facts. If I were complaining, I would be whining too. He has encouraged me to grow, is excited for my changes, and has given me the support needed so I could quit work and write a really long novel that may never get published. He’s a gem, or as they say today, a keeper. He has helped my children on multiple occasions and I can proudly say, they talk to him before they talk to their own father. I am truly blessed.

My husband and I became spouses when we were both over fifty. Maybe that’s the key. We had become mature enough to not make crazy demands of each other and knew the reality of being friends was more important than lust. Anyway, we appreciate each other, try not to take each other for granted and still say ‘please and thank you’ on a regular basis. It feels good at the end of each day to be able to say, “I’ve got a great spouse whom I love!”