A Reason to Celebrate

My parents have been married for 50 years today, and it is truly a reason to celebrate. They are a model for me to follow of determination, friendship, and forgiveness. As I have personally experienced, and observed, all marriages are hard. Although I cannot know what marriage has really been like for them, I lived with them for 21 years of my life, and have talked about them with my older siblings and I know that times were hard. I mention this because I want to say thanks for sticking through it, thanks for showing me that when it comes to the ones you love, you never give up. I remember asking my dad once if they ever thought about getting a divorce, and he told me that word was a bad word in our house in that it was something nobody was going to discuss. Thanks dad for showing me what marriage meant to you. My mother takes fabulous care of my father. She washes his clothes, cooks his meals, and always supported him in his job and callings without complaint. She taught me what it meant to be a support, and to care about another person more than you care about yourself. Thanks mom for showing me how to be a wife. Thank you both for making your marriage last and for allowing me to grow up in a home with a mother and father who honor their temple covenants. I love you. Happy 50th!