As Long As You Both Shall Live

Are you married? Are you engaged? Do you see yourself married in the future? Have you attended a wedding? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be eligible to participate in a new study. Oh, I’m kidding. I guess I’ve replaced my Facebook habit with too many TV commercials. Actually, my questions pertaining to one’s marital status and marriage in general relates to the marital vows which typically include, “as long as you both shall live.”

As long as you both shall live follows the whole ‘for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health ..’. I believe in marriage, and I believe in the marital vows. Furthermore, I spoke the vows to my husband back in 2002. Over 8yrs later, I’m learning the phrase ‘as long as you both shall live’ encompasses more than better, worse, richer, poorer, sickness, and health.

This past weekend, my husband and I were enjoying time to ourselves (with each other). During one of our outings by car, I made a comment about the woman in the car next to us. “Don’t judge others.” My husband scolded. Though I will spare you the dialogue that proceeded his comment to me, one may safely assume I did not take kindly to his scolding. Having heard similar judgments comments made by my husband, I was not about to let his hypocritical misguided viewpoint go unchallenged.

Having resolved the tiff, my husband and I held hands, as I drove home. With my left hand on the steering wheel and my right hand holding my husband’s left hand, we did the hokey pokey and we turned ourselves around … Sorry, I got carried away. With one hand on the steering wheel and one hand in my husband’s hand, I prepared to get in the left turn only lane. As I was entering the left turn only lane, my husband snapped, “Use your turn signal.”

$&*#@! [We are experiencing technical difficulties. One moment please.] $%&@!

As long as we both shall live, my driving will annoy my husband, and my husband’s driving will annoy me. As long as we both shall live, the buttons that annoy us when pushed will continue to annoy us when pushed. As long as we both shall live, we know we will annoy and be annoyed; and, we know that even with the annoyances and pushed buttons we will still live happily ever after – as long as we both shall live.

I could end my post with the previous paragraph, but I won’t. I won’t end the post just yet, because one of my friends called me today. She lives in Maryland. Although I have not spoken with her since January, we picked up right where we left off. In fact, since we met and became the closest of friends, we have always picked up right where we left off. And, I believe with all my heart, my Maryland friend and I will remain friends, continuing to pick up right where we left off – whenever and wherever we left off – ‘as long as we both shall live’.

Thank God for my husband. Thank God for my closest friends. And, thank God for the fact that I will have a special relationship with my husband and friends, as long as we [all] shall live. Now, if only my husband would follow in my footsteps and be a kinder and gentler backseat driver. Yeah, I won’t hold my breath, as long as I shall live.