Anniversary

It's a Sunday ritual that started four years ago, back when it seemed everyone I knew was getting married, and my recent ex had found the love of his life within days of our breakup. Out of curiosity or, arguably, self-punishment, I would check out the "celebrations" section of the Sunday paper that announced weddings, engagements, anniversaries and births.

My now ex-ex-ex has yet to appear on those pages and I doubt he ever will. He's still with the same woman, and they have bought a house together. But when I saw her a few weeks back at a nearby lunch spot, I did the obligatory ring check and see nothing shiny. I think his "starter marriage" burned him too badly to ever go back again.

Seeing this announcement in this morning's paper made me smile. Look at how happy they are in both pictures. I wonder what they have gone through together. Have they weathered infidelity? Financial ruin? Substance abuse? Do their kids love them? How many times have then fallen out of love with each other? How often was one of them more in love with the other and vice-versa? Or were they among the lucky ones (like my grandparents) who were on the same page the entire 50+ years they were together?

Life throws bad crap at you from all directions, and it seems to be worse today than ever before. So I wonder....in 25 years, will there even BE couples like this, celebrating 50 years of their life together, complete with a family they created, clean of ex-spouses, step-parents, half-siblings and visitation battles?