Fifty years ago, on June 1, 1958, two young public school teachers in New York decided to make a life together. Today, at a big party on Long Island, more than a hundred family members and friends will celebrate that decision.
My parents' marriage has spanned 10 presidencies and three or four wars, depending on whether you count Grenada. This longevity alone is an achievement in this age of disposable spouses, but what makes their merger more remarkable is the glue that their shared values proved to be.
My parents' recipe for the pot au feu of a successful marriage is: a shared curiosity about the world, a shared inherent sense of justice and a shared delight in the social whirl of good friends and interesting people.
From a multitude of angles this has been a synergistic match, with each receiving added vim from the other's vigor, including the daily ritual of Mom helping Dad solve the last few clues of the New York Times crossword puzzle -- which he does in pen!
While I, of course, believe they are unique and special people, their story is one that could be told a million times in a million homes across America.
During his stint in the Army, my Dad was stationed in peacetime Europe and captained the Army's soccer team, which got its butt kicked across the continent, he says. To this day my father gives money every year to the USO, which, he says, made a soldier far from home feel cared for.
My mother became a school teacher at a time when that was one of the few fields open to a woman with aspirations of a career. She always loved teaching, which was handy, since it was either that or nursing. A mere 28 years later, I, as her daughter, would have an unlimited universe of options by comparison.
They started out in an apartment in Queens, but as their third child was born, (I'm the oldest) my parents followed the exodus to the suburbs. The family moved to a modest ranch house on a corner lot in a leafy neighborhood in Glen Cove, on the north shore of Long Island. That's where my parents stayed put until the call of Manhattan became too great.
As retirees, they are now full-time city dwellers, for whom no detail of this robust metropolis is too prosaic for their interest.
On any given day, my parents may be found taking a tour of the water towers of New York with the municipal guy in charge of such things or listening to a lecture on Japanese lacquer at the Japan Society. They are members of so many museums that when I said once on a visit that I was going to the Dahesh, a smallish museum devoted to 19th century European academic art, Mom pulled out her membership card for me to take along.
Travel has always been their muse and at this point there isn't much of the world where their footprints haven't been left. My parents have seen the pyramids at Giza, the Great Wall of China, the carved sandstone of Petra, Jordan, the fjords of Norway, the elusive quetzal of Costa Rica, and Darwin's finches at the Galapagos.
Their causes are many, from saving the oceans to saving civil liberties. Even during the days of runaway inflation in the 1970s when a teacher's salary didn't cover much beyond basic living, my parents donated their money and time to environmental and progressive political causes out of a sense of civic duty.
This is the 50-year journey of heart and mind being celebrated today. It is an American story of love and family ballasted by unified values, enriching adventure and engaged citizenship. And if you want the secret to keeping a marriage solid and fulfilling over the long haul of life, here it is.
This was originally published in the St. Petersburg Times.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.