I'm 96 years old.

I was married for 64 years.

And here's the truth nobody wants to hear:

You probably married the wrong person.

Before you get angry — listen.

By year three of my marriage, I thought I'd made a mistake.
We argued.
We annoyed each other.
We misunderstood each other constantly.

I thought marriage was supposed to feel easier than this.

Then an older woman told me something that changed my life:

"We all marry the wrong person. The trick is deciding to make them the right person anyway."

That sentence carried me through 64 years.

The man I married at 24
was not the man I buried at 88.

And I was not the same woman either.

Marriage isn't about finding someone perfect.
It's about choosing someone imperfect.
Over and over.
Especially when it's hard.

You will both change.
You will both disappoint each other.
There will be years you don't even like each other.

The question isn't: "Did I marry the right person?"

The question is:
"Am I willing to keep choosing this person?"

Love isn't a feeling.

It's a decision you make daily.

And I'd choose him again.

— Eleanor