6 Things I Learned about Love from my Parents' 26 Years of Marriage

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Happy 26th Anniversary to my parents: Vinny and Jen.

The two have them have been a constant source of love and support in my life, and watching their marriage over the years has taught me a lot about what marriage is supposed to look like.

Today I’d like to share six things in particular that stick out (especially now that I’m married!)

Marrying your best friend is the best thing you can do. My mom always told me dad was her best friend. When you’re 6 or 12 or 16, that doesn’t make sense. Best friends are supposed to be girls you giggle with and tell your secrets. That was until I met Casey. Now I get it 🙂
Love isn’t supposed to be hard. Mom always used to say that to me and I thought it was odd. People complain about how hard marriage is, but my mom was convinced that if you are doing it right, it’s not challenging. That doesn’t mean you don’t argue or go through difficult times, but it means that the things you are going through together are tough, not the person you are going through them alongside.
It’s a team effort. If you’ve ever watched my parents complete a project together, you’ll get this. The two of them are truly a dynamic duo. Mom has the details, Dad has the big picture. Mom edges. Dad rolls. Mom does the paperwork. Dad “hates paperwork.” They meet in the middle, they support each other, and, honestly, they complete each other. Who doesn’t want a love like that?
When it’s the right guy, you’ll know. My mom met my dad at a square dance in San Antonio, Texas. They got married 10 MONTHS later. I was always baffled by this — “How did you know you were supposed to marry him?” She would always tell me that if God was in it, you’d have peace about it. She was right!
It’s great to get married young. I think my dad might have second-guessed his decision to marry my 21-year-old mom so young when I told him I wanted to get married — in college — at 21. But alas, he realized from his own experience that love can be true even in the throes of youth 😉
Love can be forever. I was extremely blessed growing up to have parents that not only stayed married, but loved each other dearly. They would smooch in front of us. They weren’t afraid to shower “I love yous.” Dad had a habit of reminding mom, “You are my favorite wife” (as if he had another one, haha). Now, 26 years later, they are still two little love birds.

So thank you to these two for being such great examples of what a forever-love looks like. Have a great anniversary!