HOW DOES ONE define a love of 32 years?
My sister-in-law Vivian summarizes it well in a quote from Warren Hanson penned in an anniversary card my husband and I received yesterday.
“…as two souls become one spirit, with one heart, one history.”
Audrey and Randy, May 15, 1982
Thirty-two years ago today, Randy and I began our married life together. It hasn’t always been easy. But life never is. Through joys and challenges, we have supported and loved one another. Yes, I’ve ranted and cried and he’s listened and held and reassured.
We’ve laughed.
We’ve danced in the living room, as recently as Sunday evening to a DVD concert selected because he knows how much I love Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock.”
We pray together, for each other, our family, friends—so many in need.
He recently gave up a company dinner to attend a poetry reading in which I was participating.
I’ve tagged along to farm and car shows, then discovered why he finds them so interesting.
I worked beside him once for a few hours and learned I can’t do what he does. Nor can he do what I do. We appreciate each other and our talents.
On Sunday afternoons we sometimes hop in the van and journey along gravel roads and into small towns, pausing when the mood suits us. There’s no hurry to return home now with the kids gone and only us again.
Two. A couple. A pair. Just like we started, except closer now for the singular spirit, the one heart, the shared history.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Happy Anniversary to you both! Continue to enjoy all of the blessings bestowed on your lives.
Thank you, cousin Bev.
Love wonderfully defined. Congratulations.
Thank you, Dan.
Happy Anniversary! As usual I am a day late and a dollar short (or something like that) getting a card mailed. But you know that I am thinking about you and wishing you another 32 years of married bliss You have about 2 months on Chris and I–1982 was a good year, wasn’t it? Hope you are able to do something fun to commemorate your day!
Fun would be good. And thank you for the wishes, my friend.
Happy Anniversary.
Thank you.
Happy Anniversary and many more shared moments!!!! Blessings………….
Thank you, Doreen.
Congratulations! Your picture is beautiful. You both look so happy and ready to
take on the world together. Sounds like a match made in heaven!
DeLores
Thank you. Yes, I see that happiness, too, in our wide smiles.
A very nice view of marriage. If everyone shared that philosophy, there would be a lot less divorces? Happy Anniversary on 32 years of God’s love and we wish you many more of His blessings and future anniversaries!
Thank you so much, Virgil.
Life is swell!
To live my life with the man I love does, indeed, make it swell.
Happy, happy anniversary, Audrey, and congratulations on discovering what makes for a successful long-term marriage. Not everyone is so lucky!
Thank you, Kathleen.
Congratulations to the Helblings on your 32nd Wedding Anniversary! You two, “best buds ever”, share an extra-special marriage relationship and I want to thank you for blogging what it means to you. We will be celebrating 33 years of marriage, this week, and I just might use some your suggestions, starting now. Thank you, Audrey.
Deanna, congratulations to you and your husband on 33 years of marriage. That is worthy of celebration. Clearly you also have some suggestions on what makes a marriage work. I’d like to hear them if you’d be willing to share here.
Beautiful – Congrats to 32 years!!! Thanks for sharing what works for the two of you in your marriage. Support . . . Laughter . . . Compromise – another great trio 🙂 Happy Day Indeed!
Thank you, Renee.
Happy anniversary to you and your hubby. My hubby and I just celebrated 33 years! May you both be blessed with another 32 years together.
Thank you and happy 33rd anniversary to you and your husband!
Happy anniversary to both of you! Time flies, doesn’t it? I love your wedding picture. I wish you many more years of happiness together.
Thank you, Jeanne. Times does fly…
Best Wishes and Happy Anniversary-Love the picture 🙂
Thank you, Sue.
This is beautiful! Congratulations Audrey and Randy on 32 years of marriage. You have done really, really well to survive! My husband and I have just celebrated 28 years and so many of our friends have marriages that tragically have fallen apart. You have done well to stay together and survive all the ups and downs that every marriage experiences xx
Like you and Carl, we pledged our love to one another through the tough times and the good. Congratulations to you two on 28 years together. You’re not far behind us.
Happy anniversary! Congratulations to you both.
Thank you.
Awww so sweet! Happy happy Anniversary to you and Randy, a couple who compliments each other so nicely. Another thing we have in common…32 years of marriage (ours was last month). I hope you do something you love to do to celebrate your marriage…congratulations 🙂
A belated Happy Anniversary to you and your love!