Tonight, at the behest of my sister I took my parents to the local arts center to see Cheech & Chong perform live. She bought them tickets for their wedding anniversary, and as part of my contribution to that gift, I drove them there and back.

My parents are coming up on 25 years of being together, I want to say 23 of those married (I’m pretty sure they married the year I was born). In this day and age that is quite an accomplishment. Heck, any more 10 years is an accomplishment, but a quarter of a century that is virtually unheard of!

Tonight after I dropped them off for their show and headed out to grab some dinner I got to thinking about my friends. The ones who have great marriages, the ones who’ve been married and are no longer, the ones getting married, the ones who’ve been married multiple times, the ones newly married, the ones dating and the ones who like me are single. While thinking about all these people a grim reality set in: We live in and have been brought up in a completely different world then the one my parents were living and brought up in 25 years ago. The challenges that face our relationships are challenges, that while not completely new, are unique in how we must approach them. In addition to the challenges that have been facing relationships for years, are new challenges that are indeed unique to my generation and future generations.

One thing that is quite alarming to me is my generations ability to “stop loving” the one they’re with. Maybe, it’s just me, but I don’t understand how that happens. It completely boggles my mind - the concept of “falling out of love.” If you can fall out of love as easily as you can fall in to it, then why are things the way they are? Why is marriage even a thought? I mean, it is a lifetime commitment, but if breaking that commitment is as easy as just up and leaving, or telling someone you don’t love them anymore then why does that commitment even exist?

I’m going to stop rambling now, because I could go on forever but, I’ll leave you with this thought:
Is it possible to stop loving someone you’ve said you’re devoting your entire life to? If it is, why/how?

Happy Anniversary mom and dad…I am more proud of you than I could ever put into words.

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