Long Term Relationships and the Value of "Yes Dear"

[Thomas McCurnin]

40 years. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s mostly small stuff.

[Bruce King]

I was playing the field like Andrew mainly because I was not going to marry a woman that I was not compatible with. So it was the 80’s and 90’s looking and it was not uncommon then for women to approach guys. She found me in a restaurant bar and it’s been a great 21 years. We were both about 40 and she was divorced with no kids. A friend gave us this framed piece that said: If you are right shut up. If you are wrong admit it. That really works. No fights in 21 years.

[Bill Dufour]

After about 25 years of marriage I learned how to carry drinks and plates to the table. Mine is in the left hand and hers is in the right hand. That way I make sure she gets the right one.
We bought a house in the last month and I was able to set up the closing date on her birthday. The brownie points for that should last the rest of my life.
Bil lD

[Ken Fitzgerald]

This past Christmas Eve, the LOML and I celebrated our 52nd anniversary. In August of '68 I passed the draft physical and a couple weeks later quickly enlisted in the US Navy for 6 years with a 52 day delayed entry. As nearly as we can figure it, 13 days before leaving for boot camp I was riding in the back seat of a 66 Chevy guarding the beer we were drinking. I told my two drinking buddies in the front seat that I'd like a date with blonde with a good personality. In the reflected light of the headlights I saw them look at each other and one said "We know the girl! When and where do you want to meet her?" I replied "Mr. Quicks, tomorrow night, 6:00 p.m., dinner and a movie." The next day, a Saturday, I washed and waxed my '64 SS Impala convertible and later that evening we had our first date. Sunday after church she came to my parents house with her 2 kids from her previous marriage and a picnic basket with lunch. Tuesday evening we had another date and I asked her to marry me. The odds of our marriage lasting was so slim. She was so shy and timid, I am still amazed she had the courage to go out with me but apparently she had seen me when I had a date with one of her girl friends. 12 days after meeting her I signed over my checking and savings accounts to her and left for boot camp. I came home for Christmas (not out of boot camp yet) and we got married on Christmas Eve.

52 years later she remains the nicest, most loving person I have ever met. I nearly lost her to a rare and deadly form of cancer 29 years ago but with the work of a team of 5 surgeons at the University of Washington M.C. in Seattle and the grace of God she survives today. 2 years after we married I reenlisted and used part of the reenlistment bonus to adopt those 2 kids. At about 4 years of marriage we had a 3rd child. So today we have 3 kids, 8 grandkids (ages 35-8) and 9 great-grandkids (ages 14-4).

The first 18 months we were married we fought like cats and dogs. But neither of us wanted to end the relationship so we worked through it. To us, a marriage, a relationship, is like a good job, you can never take it for granted and you have to work at it everyday.

[Brian Deakin]

My father in his Back country accent gave me this advise about a year before his death

"All you have to do is to look after her and look after those kids "

and I think that's about as complicated life gets

[Rod Sheridan]

There's an old joke about marriage:

When a man looks at the women he's about to marry, he says, "I can live with her"

When a woman looks at the man she's about to marry, she says, "I can work with that!"



If you want to have a happy marriage, you go along with the program.

Mike

That’s a good approach.It reminds me of the joke my friends dad told at his 50th wedding anniversary celebration. “When Mary agreed to marry me we came to an agreement that she would take care of all the small decisions, and I would take care of all the major decisions.
Well, I’m pleased to report that in 50 years of marriage we’ve never faced a major decision”.

It was a humorous look at his philosophy that a life together is a life of compromise, support, and the ability to accommodate and pick battles wisely...Rod

[Prashun Patel]

Three quotes get me by:

"It's better to be happy than right" - Nancy Reagan
"Happy Wife, Happy Life" - Heidi Klum
"Life ain't a track meet, it's a marathon" - Ice Cube

I'm slowly learning to listen more, and say less. Especially with my teenagers, but also with my wife. Presence, patience, being grateful.

It's hard not to get trite with it all; but it's so true.

[lowell holmes]

55 years and I wake up every morning thankful she is there and I do say yes dear.

[michael langman]

Married 48 years now (to the same women). I've learned lots of lessons like this. The most important was when she voices a problem with something it doesn't necessarily mean she wants me to offer a solution. First is agreement and sympathy if appropriate, then some communication to figure out if it's something she would like some help with!

JKJ

This quote speaks volumes to my wife and my life. The more I try to help, the worse it gets.

My wife and I have a very good and lasting relationship, but it is darn hard for me, and her, because we think so differently about just about everything. Men and womans minds are so different, in how they work, that I just have to throw my hands up and say ,Yes Dear.