40 years ago today, a man whose lifelong dream was to either sail around the world or live in the Canadian arctic and win the Iditarod married a woman whose lifelong dream was to have a luau in Hawaii. Despite their obvious difference in travel plans, they managed to make their marriage work over the next four decades. The one thing they did have in common was their devotion to each other and to their four daughters.

I was lucky enough to be one of those daughters and even though I can’t be with them to celebrate such this momentous occasion with them, I want to let them know a few things of what their marriage has taught me:

That marriage is about love, respect, commitment and compromise. You set such a good example for me that for the first time in my life, I actually see the importance of the last point…compromise. I’m not good at it yet but because of you, at least I’m trying now.

That when you have kids, sacrifices need to be made to ensure that we were all well-fed, clothed and educated. Now that I have a child of my own, I really do understand just how much you did sacrifice for us to pay for the music lessons, the yearly vacations, and so much more for not one, but FOUR children. You both gave so much of your free time (not to mention the financial sacrifices) to watch us perform in concerts, on baseball teams and never missing one parent-teacher meeting.

That being a wife doesn’t have to mean I have to lose my independence. It means by choosing the right husband, I have a partner in life, not a master.

That my own marriage doesn’t have to be one that ends up in divorce just because the statistics are stacked against me. Because of you, I have proof that marriages can stand the test of time if we make the right choice of spouse and we want it to work.

Just two more things...
Dad, if you’re reading this, I want to let you know that I forgive you for punishing me when your eldest daughter broke the maracas over my head when I was 3. And yes, I can remember that far back. You don't forget traumas like that easily.

Mom, I forgive you for ratting me out to Dad when I broke the glass in the dining room door with a baseball when I was 6.

So, with that out of the way, I want to wish you both a VERY HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY!! As parents, I couldn’t have picked a better pair if I had been given the opportunity to do so!