Monday, December 22, 2008

How Could I Almost Forget?!

!! HAPPY 49TH ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD !!

I'm so glad you're still going strong and more in love than ever. Thanks for living in such a way that everyone can see how much you like each other and are glad to be together. Enjoy your celebratory date.

You have taught me so many things about marriage:
  • do nice things for each other: get the door, plant flowers, make lunches, train the kids to clean up after themselves;
  • work together at something: gardening, canning, camping, backpacking (even if someone keeps pretending that there's a bear in the bushes), family stuff;
  • go on dates regularly;
  • "Couple Time" is important, call it what you will—"nap time," "we need to talk alone," "don't knock on the door or you're in trouble time"—just have it;
  • always treat your spouse in such a way that they will always know they are loved;
  • don't leave the house angry;
  • sleeping on a problem is often a good idea—or space, whatever;
  • don't air your dirty laundry with everyone in the family—speak well of your spouse at all times;
  • forgetting a birthday or anniversary is not nice but it's also not worth punishing a spouse for—assume everyone is doing their best and some things just get forgotten.
My favorite concept is the idea that there is no one person out there meant only for me. There are many people that I could choose to be with and be happy. The important thing is to decide well and then keep on choosing to stay married. This set my mind at ease from a very young age. Knowing that my husband would be up to me and not the universe was very comforting. And look how well I chose!*

I'm so glad that you're both following your dream to serve missions. Thus combining your love of service, learning new things and making new friends. I'm so proud of you for putting yourselves out there, struggling to learn new languages, fit into new cultures, taking cinnamon rolls and Red Feather stories to the world.

Again, happy anniversary.

________________
*Ed. note: Universe 1, Kitti 0, Justin ∞

1 comment:

Dorri said...

Yeah for mom & dad's anniversary!!
I wish that we could be in utah tonight to get together with the rest of the fam. Another thing that I always think of when I think of mom & dad, holding hands, they always hold hands. I love that.
Remember the matching blue with rainbow colors jackets that they wore when we were little.