Advice on Staying Happily Married

My very good friend Miss Stella (I guess that would be Mrs. Stella!) just celebrated 59 years of marriage with her dear husband Tom, and I asked if she would share with us how they did it. Here's what she said:

Remedy for so long married: Live, love and cooperate. It hasn't all been a bed of roses. We worked together with this marriage. We saved for things we wanted, didn't go into debt only when we had to for furniture or car or house. We did things together, never cheated on each other and when I opened my mouth he shut his, when he opened his I shut mine.

I went to work to help earn extra money after we had our family, and it wasn't his money nor my money it was our money. He worked a lot of overtime to provide as the money just was't there so we worked together. We never argued over money, we never did drugs, we never drank ourselves silly like they do now.

When Tom had open heart surgery and he came home, I was the one who took care of him, when I had my total knee done, he took care of me. We raised two great kids and they have their own family. We have had illnesses and have cared for each other. We have had mountains to climb but did it together.

I went to card club with friends, and meetings, he bowled with his friends but then again we did things together. As I said it hasn't always been easy but togetherness is what kept things in prospective. If you really love the guy, you just sit comfortably, raise your family and when they are gone, then you are still together It hasn't been an easy life nor boring life, we have had fun, vacations did lots of things we liked to do and then some we didn't like doing. I always said when God made him, He threw the pattern away.

Doesn't it sound like this couple was a match made in Heaven? They work together to meet their family's needs but still give each other space as individuals. Miss Stella, you guys are an inspiration...thank you for sharing your story with us! (((hugs)))