monogamy – Wiseblooding

Reaching A Summit

Published on December 20, 2020January 13, 2021 by wisebloodingLeave a comment

Our dear friends celebrated their 50th anniversary last night, with a party organized by their three adult children (and spouses). It was a lovely tribute, acknowledging the admirable legacy this married couple has modeled for their children and grandchildren.

In my post Striking Gold from last year, I posted about my Beloved and I having achieved our own 50th anniversary. Our celebration (mostly by preference) was more subdued than previous milestones. So much goes on over the Holidays, having an anniversary rarely receives precedence when more urgent events intrude. Consider, last year I was eight days late with my post! Continue reading “Reaching A Summit” →

Between Friends

Published on August 5, 2016January 13, 2021 by wiseblooding3 Comments

Friends don’t let friends drive drunk. You’ve probably heard a version of this message from the Ad Council, a gentle caution for drivers and passengers alike.

I’ve decided a similar message should apply with respect to social media. Maybe something like this: Friends don’t let friends contrive junk. I know, I know! It’s clunky and doesn’t roll off the tongue as nicely as the Ad Council declaration. But the meaning should resonate.

The sterile contrivance that is social media purports to keep us “connected” to friends and family. In truth, it’s a time-consuming distraction that draws us away from numerous activities and human interactions which once occupied our time and attention.

Social media in its varied applications also tends to work as an echo chamber … a mishmash of individual posts to which others respond by clicking share or like. But for me, the dreaded copy, paste and post if you agree is most exasperating. What if I agree with a post but choose not to copy, paste and post? Is my non-compliance misconstrued? (Oh, dear! What will people think if I don’t comply?) Continue reading “Between Friends” →

E & T Celebrate 48

Published on June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 by wiseblooding3 Comments

According to one wedding website, a mere 5% of married couples reach their 50th wedding anniversary. Given that about 2 million people marry every year in the United States, reaching the 50-year mark is an impressive achievement.

Today, my older brother and his wife are celebrating their 48th anniversary, and God willing, will arrive at the 50 year mark and celebrate that milestone together. I’ve been told siblings are the longest and dearest relationship people experience in their lives and I think that would apply to my kinship with my elder brother. Likewise with my sister-in-law, I’ve posted about our friendship and love here. Continue reading “E & T Celebrate 48” →

Children In The Crosshairs

Published on April 21, 2015 by wiseblooding3 Comments

According to information I’ve read over the last couple days, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments next week that relate to same-sex marriage. With nearly 150 friend-of-the-court briefs already filed, the justices will hold an extended (2½ hours) hearing.

As I understand the issue, SCOTUS will be grappling with the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment which was ratified in 1868, granting US citizenship to former slaves. Suffice it to say, I’m not Constitutional scholar, but I can certainly read the text of this amendment and understand why it was adopted as part of our Constitution. Continue reading “Children In The Crosshairs” →

What We Do For Love

Published on March 16, 2015 by wisebloodingLeave a comment

In my family, there are several family history buffs. My cousin B. (and her husband) have gathered a storehouse of information on our forebears and I’m always amazed at their tenacity and stamina for the hunt. This couple has slogged through wastelands and cow pastures where cemeteries used to be located (and still are, but few know about them). A little mud (or cow dung) is trivial to this pair.

While B. and her husband have gathered family history information on the hoof, so to speak, my tendency is to shun the mud (or cow dung) and search for facts electronically. All the online resources that have become available over the last ten years are my gold mine. But guess which one of us has the better track record at snagging the real gold and gems?

One hint: it’s rarely me.

Continue reading “What We Do For Love” →

The Church of Oprah, Bell and Zimzum

Published on February 18, 2015 by wiseblooding1 Comment

The recent conversation between Oprah and Rob Bell, featured in a video entitled Super Soul Sunday, has created lots of buzz over the last couple days. Perhaps the most striking comments emerging from this conversation – and the portion garnering the most attention – is Bell’s assertion that the church (one would presume in context Bell is referring to evangelicals) is “moments away” from acknowledging and accepting gay marriage.Bell explains, “… culture is already there” but then he adds: “… the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2,000 years ago as their best defense.” Because LOVE. Continue reading “The Church of Oprah, Bell and Zimzum” →

Certifiably Married

Published on January 30, 2015July 20, 2020 by wiseblooding4 Comments

Quick question … for those of you who are married, do you know where your marriage certificate is? This document, most often provided to the married couple shortly after “I Do” and “I Will” have been spoken, is often a fancy piece of parchment that notes the names of the married partners and the place where their vows were exchanged. Signatures of the witnesses and person who officiated are often included on the document.

I love the marriage certificate pictured above – apparently from the 1800s – because of its elegant simplicity and its implicit invitation to attach photos of the bride and the groom! Unlike many of the digital documents produced today for births, marriages, etc., this above document is artful and would be a beautiful keepsake to display. Continue reading “Certifiably Married” →

Is This The Fairy Tale?

Published on December 20, 2014December 20, 2014 by wiseblooding2 Comments

Looking back, there’s this overwhelming realization of how young we were … he was 21, I was five days shy. We were fresh-faced, dazzled by the idea of joining our lives together, and fearless about the unknowns our future held for us. Here’s a picture on our wedding day. (Did I mention fresh-faced? Ha! How d’ya like that bow?) We were heart-and-soul smitten and (using today’s parlance) in luuvv. (Say it with a deep voice.)

What in heavens did we know about love? That’s a reasonable question! The best answer, I suppose, is that both of us were stubborn enough – once we’d said our vows – we were going to stick together no matter what. We’ve had our share of both laughter and tears, and how we’ve been blessed!

Forty-five years is more than twice the years we’d lived prior to marriage. But in the annals of anniversary history, 45 isn’t particularly significant … it’s just one of those milestones on the road to 50. As I thought about it, I realized there are a few other things uniquely related to 45 and I offer my observations on those. Continue reading “Is This The Fairy Tale?” →

The Golden Brigade

Published on December 19, 2014December 21, 2014 by wiseblooding4 Comments

Earlier this week, I posted my comments related to enduring marriage. Given that my Beloved and I will celebrate our 45th year of marriage tomorrow, I’ve been contemplating my current perceptions of marriage and comparing those views with what I recall from my much younger self.

As if bidden to the surface by my subconscious, three unique recent posts on marriage came to my attention. The first (written by The Boston Globe‘s Billy Baker) features a brief sketch about 75 couples, all of whom have been married more than 50 years, who were invited to a gathering where their unions would be celebrated.

Sponsored by an organization with the official-sounding name, Boston Commission on Affairs of the Elderly, this gathering brought the couples together in one room with the stated purpose of answering a simple question: What’s the secret to a long marriage? This wondrously exclusive group offered their views, providing opinions that were at times similar and occasionally unique. Continue reading “The Golden Brigade” →

Saluting Real Success

Published on December 15, 2014 by wiseblooding3 Comments

On his syndicated radio show Paul Harvey News and Comments, broadcaster Paul Harvey (1918-2009) used to celebrate the long marriages of audience members. Everyday at noon, he’d begin with his distinctive opening, “Hello, Americans! Stand by for news!” Then he’d go through various news stories of the day, usually the stories he most cared to report, and toward the end of the 15-minute broadcast, he’d mention one or another 50-years married couple and wish them his warm congratulations.

The eminent radio personality would have known something about enduring marriage. He and his wife had been married more than 65 years before her death in 2008. With his broadcasts now consigned to the history of radio, it seems there’s no one else to offer a salute to today’s couples who’ve grown old together. I think that’s unfortunate. Continue reading “Saluting Real Success” →