The hardest ship to keep afloat is a partnership.
Surely, my
parents quarreled during their 50-plus years of marriage. But when they argued is
the $64,000 Question. Big Dink and Margie didn’t involve others, especially my
sisters and me, in their differences.
Couples do face
occasional rough seas in their partnerships. I remember reading about an
interview with Ruth, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham. She was asked, “How
is it being married to one of the most famous men in the world?”
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Mrs. Graham said.
“But don’t you
ever have disagreements?” the reporter quizzed.
“Sure,” she said,
“all couples disagree from time to time.”
“Well, Mrs.
Graham,” he asked, “did you ever consider divorce?”
“Oh, heavens,
no,” she fired back, “but murder, yes!”
Giuseppe’s
secret
And then there’s
the story about Giuseppe’s secret to a long marriage.
Don Perno, who’s
family’s roots are in Italy, always had a “good Italian joke” for me. This one
is for my former formal-wear haberdasher.
During the weekly
seminar for husbands at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the priest asked Giuseppe
to report on his secret to staying married to the same woman for 50 years.
Giuseppe replied,
“Well, I’ve tried to treat her nice and spend money on her. But best of all, I
took her to Italy for our 25th anniversary.”
“Giuseppe, you are an amazing inspiration,” the priest responded,
“Please tell all the husbands what you are planning for her to celebrate your
50th anniversary.”
With a big grin,
Giuseppe said, “I going back to pick her up.”
Gladys’ secret
And for a little religious balance, I’ll share one from my church,
the Baptists.
The preacher’s
sermon was on forgiving your enemies. He forgot Billy Sunday’s advice: “Very
few souls are won after 20 minutes.”
After 30 minutes
of bearing down on forgiveness, the preacher asked people in the congregation
to raise their hand if they had an enemy whom they wanted to forgive.
Three hundred
hands shot skyward. The preacher noted the raised hands. All except one—Mrs.
Gladys on the back row—had raised a hand.
The minister
offered a few scriptures. He asked the question with a different twist, “How
many of you have an enemy who you hope will forgive you?” Everyone waved a
hand, except Mrs. Gladys.
Surprised, he
said, “OK, lower your hands.”
“Mrs. Gladys,” he
said, “I have asked everyone to raise his or her hand if they had anyone they
wanted to forgive or vice versa. Both times you didn’t raise your hand.”
Mrs. Gladys
nodded.
“Well then, Mrs.
Gladys,” he said, “if you’ve lived 93 years and you don’t have any enemies you
want to forgive or any enemies from whom you seek forgiveness, I believe you
have a better sermon to share than the one I just preached. Would you mind
coming to the pulpit and sharing your story?”
Mrs. Gladys
reached for her walker.
Everyone waited
as the matriarch of the congregation crept toward the rostrum. With help, she
ascended the platform.
“Now, Mrs.
Gladys,” the preacher said, “please tell us how you have managed this
relationships miracle.”
With a quick
glance to Heaven, she smiled and replied, “I have outlived all the old
biddies.”
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
