This weekend, my family and I will be celebrating my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary by throwing them a party.
In today’s world, 60 years of marriage is an incredible milestone, especially when you compare it to the marriages we always hear about in the media and in Hollywood (most recently, Kim Kardashian’s 72-day “marriage” — how do you even know you want to end it after 72 days?).
I recently heard that the divorce rate is somewhere around 50 percent. It saddens me to think that one in two families have a broken home. Upon researching, I found that less than 4 percent of marriages last as long as 60 years.
Of course, as people get married later and later in life, the chances of lasting that long become slim due to the mortality rate, but to think that 96 percent of married couples will not make it to such an achievement seems disappointing.
Unfortunately, the glitz and glamour of having a top-shelf wedding overpowers the true meaning of a marriage. With all the details from guest lists to venues to cake and gowns, it is easy to lose sight of what a marriage is supposed to represent.
So does having an elaborate wedding really make all the difference? If it did, Kardashian would be married for way more than 60 years.
These days, there is a bold line between wanting a wedding and a marriage — and it shows. Those who desire a fancy ceremony spend thousands of dollars on extravagant parties for status, while those seeking a happy lifetime together are more likely to realize less is more.
This time 60 years ago, on Thanksgiving 1951, I highly doubt my grandparents were stressing over last-minute details and seating arrangements. Instead, they shared a common goal of starting a family, and that they did.
Over the last six decades, they have raised seven children, watched 13 grandchildren prosper and prepare for families of their own. They were there during all the holidays, graduations, weddings, soccer games and other daily celebrations.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and offer my blessing for my grandparents, Jane and Ed Kelly, as they celebrate 60 years of marriage!
I speak for the entire family in honoring and celebrating their commitment to each other.
We can all only hope to be married equally as long.
