July 10th was my parents’ 50th wedding
anniversary. A pretty amazing thing for two people that have been, and continue
to be, great parents for the three of us. With restrictions loosening, we were happily
able to hold an outdoor, well spaced celebration with friends and family.
What struck me there, beyond the focus on 50 years, was how many of these people have known me throughout it my life, and I’m 46 so that too is a long time! It’s clearly been important to my mom and dad to build and nurture these relationships over time. From different initial connections, many of them have gotten to know each other, so these milestone celebrations become reunions of sort.
In our world today, everything is disposable. I know we’re working to minimize that, but we still throw away a lot and at times value little. That goes for relationships. People seem willing to abandon those as well and move on to new ones, likely to repeat the same pattern. Whether that’s significant others, friends, or even family, the developing instinct is to move on when things are tough or when time or distance come into play, and not double-down on connections that have mattered. Of course, there are many circumstances where relationships tail off and walking away is absolutely needed and the right move, but is that always the case or the new convention?
The smiles, joy, and stories at the anniversary from all these faces that have known me forever reinforced the importance and value of relationships. Loyalty, dedication, and commitment to being with people through all phases of life are important, if not easy, and help positively shape our lives – something I’ve clearly inherited from my parents.
