Just this morning at the beauty shop some young girls were talking about not wanting to marry, being pressured by mothers to marry, or not wanting children. They all said, "I'm too young to get married."  They were aghast when I said I was married at 19. They asked how long I had been married and I answered 52 years. They appeared to be looking at a dinosaur.

I said, it doesn't matter how old you are, when you find your soul mate that is when you marry. I found mine while he was in medical school and I was a student nurse. We shared common values of religion, politics and economics. We both wanted children. We shared a common love of classical music and loved performing the same. We loved opera. Our first date was to see Van Cliburn play at the Grant Park Band Shell on his triumphant concert tour after becoming the first American to win the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. I still remember the thrill of that performance. We laughed together. We finished each other's sentences. We knew what the other was thinking. And we truly cared about each other. We worked together. We complimented each other. We respected each other. We were ready to face the world together, and what an adventure we have had.

After living a long time now, I realize marriage is not for everyone. But, for those who are blessed with a good marriage, I can wish you no greater comfort or joy. After 52 years, we are still "having an Adventure!"

Vicki