My parents got married on December 17, 1955. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last week. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of married couples reach their 70th anniversary. In other words, only one in every 1,000 married couples achieve that milestone. They defied the odds.
They met during grad school at UCLA. They were complete opposites. They spent their childhoods on opposite sides of the continent. My father was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and had an East Coast attitude. My mother grew up in California and had a laid back vibe. They are both first-generation Americans. My paternal grandparents migrated from Russia. My maternal grandparents emigrated from Mexico. My father is Jewish, and my mother is Christian. My dad is a quiet introvert, and my mom is a gregarious extrovert. Their backgrounds and personalities were vastly different…and yet they made it work.
They were married in Los Angeles, and spent most of their married life in Southern California. My father became an aerospace engineer, and my mother taught school. They are 92 and 94 years of age now and still live independently. Most of their lifelong friends have already passed. I am grateful that they have each other for companionship, love, and support. Their strengths are distinct, and they rely on each other in different ways. They complement and complete each other.
They weathered the storms in the sea of life and avoided capsizing. They stayed in the boat and rowed together. Against all odds, they stayed together for 70 years. They were a constant in an ever changing world, and the foundation for my life.
