One of the things I love most about being a marriage advocate, and writing exclusive on the positive aspects of being married, is I seem to attract happily married couples everywhere I go.
The day before I flew to Vegas a couple weeks ago, I realized I was out of business cards and needed to order some quick. I Googled “business cards and Marina Del Rey” and called the first print shop to pop up.
The woman that answered the phone, Nadeen, was so kind and assured me they could complete the cards by the end of the day. She asked me to send the artwork to her graphic designer, Alex, and they’d get started.
When I arrived at the print shop at nearly 8pm, I was greeted by Nadeen, her two gorgeous dogs and Alex. She went to look for my business card proof but didn’t see it on her desk. When she asked Alex, I couldn’t help but notice his response, “Sweetheart, they’re right there on the table.”
“It couldn’t be. Could it?” I thought. By now, I’m accustomed to happily married people crossing my path daily, so I had a feeling this might be another one of those encounters. I immediately began probing. How long had they owned the shop and worked together? 12 years. Did they enjoy working together? Absolutely. How many children? 2 sons. How long had they been married? 31 years.
That last answer took me by surprise. I would have pegged them both for being in their early 40’s. But this too, is something I have become accustomed to finding in happy couples. I shared with them the recent worldwide adventure I’d returned from in my quest to find the secret to a happy marriage and some of my more interesting findings.
“Happy marriages seem to be a youth elixir,” I told them. I’m yet to meet a couple who have been happily married 25 years or more that don’t look at least 10 years younger than their actual age. Usually, they look between 15-20 years younger. One of the wives I interviewed in Cape Town, South Africa was 67 years old but barely looked 50 and had more energy than me (and I’ve got energy to spare).
I wish I could tell you I’ve done a scientific study on the effects of marriage on thickness of hair, suppleness of skin, strength of nails and heightened energy but that would be a fib. I can only tell you I’ve interviewed more happily married couples than I can count and there is one thing I can’t help but notice in all of them. They seem to not only have the secret to a happy marriage but unlimited access to the fountain of youth.
And as an added bonus, the Mayo Clinic has confirmed through their research happily married couples have lower rates of heart failure, cancer, and other diseases. So other than the benefit of being happy (which is a blessing all by itself), at least two additional benefits of being happily married are living longer and enjoying more energy while you’re alive.
Question: What do you think are some of the benefits of having a happy marriage?
Until tomorrow…make it a great day!
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