Early yesterday morning, we boarded a flight for a brief getaway. Along the way, we made a stop to reconnect with some longtime friends—specifically, a close connection from my wife’s younger years and her parents, a couple who have quietly influenced us for decades.
Seeing them again stirred something in me. When my wife and I were just beginning our life together, they were among the few couples we knew who had been married a long time. Back then, they were approaching 40 years of marriage—and now, they’re nearing 60. Their relationship stood out to us then, and it still does.
He’s now facing a few health challenges that come with age. She, well into her senior years, remains active, thoughtful, and wise. During our visit, she offered one of those simple but deeply true reminders: marriage is complicated—it’s a choice you make over and over again. Her advice? “Have your own interests. Do your own thing. Exist with one another, and stay interdependent.” That stuck with me.
The last time I saw her, she made time to support me at an event that meant a lot to me. That act reminded me: we’re never truly alone when others walk this journey ahead of us and stay the course. I’m grateful because their marriage has been an invisible guide—a kind of quiet mentorship that helped me believe in what’s possible. And today, I was able to say thank you in person—with my eyes, my heart, and my time.