I posted the following on Facebook, on Valentine's Day 2021:

The photos below show how Margie and I each open a pack of Snapple. I cut the wrapper carefully with scissors; Margie rips into it like a pack of thirsty rats. How have we been married for over fifty years without killing each other?

There is a secret, actually: we laugh at things like this.

The posting got 31 "Likes", and multiple comments. My favorite was from my daughter Elissa, which led to the following chain of comments:

Elissa: I couldn't love this more. Ryan and I show some similar differences (why are the stickers from fruit always stuck on the counter by the sink?! ;)), but we also laugh about it.

Me: Elissa, perhaps I taught you well.

Margie: Wait, fruit stickers on the sink? I do that! Or in the sink.

Elissa: Yes, he peels them off and then (instead of putting them in the trash) sticks them to the sink/counter. After I pointed it out, he started doing it more. When I asked about it, he said he was trying to make me think of him. It worked. Now I smile when I see them.

I've reproduced the Facebook post above in honor of our fifty-first wedding anniversary, the day this blog entry is being posted, June 28, 2021. I figure a fifty-first anniversary gives me the right to give marital advice. Of course, not everyone finds it so easy to laugh at differences like this, but if you can manage it, your life will improve.

Cleaning out some boxes in the garage, we recently came across the small ceramic statuette that topped our wedding cake 51 years ago (seen to the left). It was packed together with the lace-edged satin train that had been attached to Margie's gown. But mice had invaded the box, and made a comfortable nest out of portions of the train, so we discarded it. We still do have the wedding gown itself, though.

I spent some time puzzling out what the figurine's bride is holding. A soccer ball? But then I decided it must have been intended to represent a corsage.

The "big" anniversary, in a sense, was our fiftieth, a year ago, since people seem to traditionally celebrate round number events. I posted somewhat "dark" thoughts on that day, in my blog entry Fiftieth, since we were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus we couldn't do what we really like to do for occasions such as this, travel, or at least have a good celebratory dinner.

My mood lightened up a week later, when we did get in a nice family celebration; see Fiftieth (bis). And I noted a year ago, regarding our go-to restaurant for celebrations, "Il Capriccio has now closed for good." But we may in fact be able to dine there for our 51st, as it has now re-opened in a new location! Could things really be going back to normal?

In the final analysis, though, it's not the milestones that matter, nor the celebrations; it's the marriage. We support each other through better or worse. And while some things have been worse lately (such as a worldwide pandemic and a reality-TV star trying to play President), many other things have been good, such as a close and growing family. Below, our two grandchildren, Simon and Darwin.

Good times. And getting better.