On September 27, 2008, I and my sister, Crystal Turner, were blessed to be with our parents,

Thomas H. and Maggie Johnson to celebrate and reminisce 50 years of marriage.

In a time where five or ten years in a marriage seems like an accomplishment. It is nice to see couples that endure the marital relationship.

I love my parents (for obvious reasons) but I also enjoy how they are with each other. There is a camaraderie, and a companionship. It isn't a mushy gushy type of thing, but you feel the respect and admiration they have for one another. After 50 years, they still talk, they laugh. For me it was encouraging. While longevity in marriage is nice, too often we see those that stay in a marriage because "there isn't anywhere else to go". To me that is sad.

I want to be married to David Eugene Wilson because I love him (we don't get along ALL THE TIME) but he is mine and I am his. I like his twisted personality, his crazy sense of humor, his creativity, his intelligence, his beautiful brown eyes. (Oops, he's been out of town, gets back Friday-YAHOO!) My point is this; life goes through cycles, and as such relationships will go through cycles. As married couples when everything is going "hunky dory", that's great but know that the "not so hunky dory" times are around the corner, and they too shall pass. Don't get caught up in the bad, and forget the good. Instead work on having more good times, and fewer bad times. Marriage is a covenant, which takes commitment, hard-work, and determination! Marriage takes sacrifice, there is no room for selfishness (that is if you are interested in a working marriage). Marriage takes friendship, someone with whom you can be yourself (no worries). Last but certainly not least, marriage is affection. I'm not talking about sex, I'm referring to a simple touch; a caress, sometimes even just the simplest of looks from David will have me all tingly for days...

Anyway, I just wanted to publicly congratulate my parents, and give encouragement to all the married folks, and even give hope to our singles. You know when the preacher man says, "Marriage should not be entered into lightly"? In the words of Hamilton Landrum, "He ain't lying."