Thursday, September 1, 2011

Being Nice and Real Life

I had lunch with a close friend last week
Who shared a quote she had heard on life.
She said, "Home is where we go
When we're tired of being nice."

I guess I must have skipped this lesson
In the things one learns before marriage.
I have been thinking all along
This would be married love's miscarriage.

I thought if there was no peace at home,
The marriage was doomed to end.
At sixty, I'm learning life's lessons
From some of my oldest friends.

My seventh grade teacher visited;
She was married sixty-four years.
She's widowed now, and shared with me
Her family's laughter and their tears.

She told me that she left him once,
But he followed her to win her back;
Never in their marriage was there
A spirited discussion lack.

My other mother gave me a quote
As we were a bit of wine drinking,
"If a couple never fights,
Someone isn't thinking."

She allowed that she and her husband
Were the thinkingest couple she knew.
And in their long life together
Their friends numbered more than a few.

They brought up two children who
Both spent their lives as nurses.
Clearly dynamic tension in marriage
Isn't the worst stress there is.

Both of these women are
Strong in their own rights.
I think this is the secret to
Having productive fights.

We all need to hone our strengths,
And learn how to work hard,
Learn what's important to fight for;
Moral children may be our reward.





2 comments:

  1. Oh so many secrets held, that when shared, boosts our life's value and longivity. I love the wisdom that comes from SOME older folk.
    Good entry 'Y', and timely we are tonight celebrating our 55th a couple weeks early so we can do it with family, cause soon, WE B Gone (South)!

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  2. Learning to disagree agreeably is one of the necessities for the longevity of a marriage. And like I told our kids and family, the secret to staying married a long time is just simply don't divorce. I liked your mother's quote "someone isn't thinking".

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