Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made along the way. Unknown

Yesterday was my husband’s and my thirty-seventh wedding anniversary. My husband was listening to a podcast, I can’t remember the podcaster’s name, but he was saying he didn’t like Jordan Peterson’s advice on Marriage; “He’s only been married once.” Our daughter says, “Isn’t that the point, to only be married once.”

Staying married isn’t about finding the perfect person who always acts perfectly or being the perfect person who always acts perfectly, that’s a fantasy, and fantasies don’t come true. Real people get married, and lead real lives, with ups and downs, good times and bad, and getting through them together is the challenge. Anyone can throw the towel in at any time, but giving up on marriage is like giving up on anything else, something can’t become a success once we give up on it. We don’t finish what we start if we quit halfway through.

I’m not saying no one should get a divorce, and I’m not judging those that do, but I prefer to take advice from those that have gotten through the tough stuff that inevitably comes with a long marriage. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two great-kids, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and now a grandson. One of the secrets to staying married is to not throw the divorce word around, if you put it out there, and your partner says, “Okay then.” You are getting a divorce and most times neither of you can take it back, even if you think it would be best for all concerned. I wonder how many reasonable marriages end because of something like that, a moment of weakness when we give up on each other?

Don’t count the days. Make the days count. Muhammad Ali

We got back from our road trip to B.C. and Alberta. Our schedule was packed and it was wonderful for our kids to meet some of their cousins again as adults. We had time with Mom; I stayed at her place while everyone else went to a BnB so I could maximize my visit with her. We were up at six o’clock talking before everyone else showed up, and we talked until bedtime every night after they left.

At the BnB, a turkey mother saved her chick from a hawk attack while our kids watched, nature, red in tooth and claw they saw firsthand. City kids are protected from the ferocity of nature and survival. Predators are everywhere and to live a good life we have to be aware of predators, in the wild we know who is who, in the city not so much.

We were out and about in downtown Vancouver and Calgary and on the street were the down and out, the drug-addicted, and unfortunate. Will decriminalizing drugs help mitigate the problem? I believe if we knew how to fix the problem we would try our best as a society to do it. But, how do we fix it? Does anyone have the answer? Does it come down to personal responsibility, choices, consequences, and helping people get back on their feet when they choose to turn their life around?

The time in Vancouver and Calgary makes me think if I would have loved living out West more than I’ve loved living in Ontario. It’s like marriage, you make your choice, live with it, and make the best of what you have. Life has been great for me in Ontario. There are always things we like about somewhere else, but home is home. After a wonderful trip of sightseeing, new experiences, and reconnecting with people, it is back to our regular wonderful life.

Never let your memories be greater than your dreams. Doug Ivester

The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories. Og Mandino

You will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Unknown

Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read some more. Have a wonderful day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to those that read my books, and a special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

The post Holidays and memories, celebrating milestones, and back to real life. appeared first on Belynda's Books.