33 Years and We're Still In Love

May 11, the Mrs. and I celebrated 33 years of marriage, and we're still in love. Granted, it is a different kind of love than the one that brought us together in the first place. We have been best friends from the beginning and that has not changed. We like hanging out together. We can spend an entire day doing nothing together and consider it a great day.
If any guys stop by this post, let me give you a piece of advice. Don't think that being a "Real Man", means following the example of Spike TV! ESPN SportsCenter and Best Damn Sports Show on TV don't have to be your favorites to prove your manhood. It's OK to watch American Idol or Dancing With the Stars. You don't have to limit your movies to Lord of the Rings, Dumb and Dumber, or the Steven Segal catalog. It's OK to enjoy a romantic comedy.
You don't have to refuse to go to the mall in order to preserve your masculinity. I go to the mall with my wife, we just don't spend time in the same stores. While she's in her favorite department store, you'll find me down at Sharper Image or Borders (checking out digital photo and computer magazines). We meet for lunch or have a cup of coffee at Starbucks and split up again for a little while. At the end of the shopping excursion, we have dinner and head to the house. It's been a good day.
Yes, if you want to stay married for thirty three years, you will have to learn to say, "yes mam", "no mam", and "I'm sorry, it was all my fault, I won't ever do that again" (and mean it.). Remember, during the wedding vows you said something to the effect that you took your spouse for better or worse. Well, try to do everything you can to make her day and your marriage better, not worse.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the perfect husband. I married a woman far better than I deserve. We've been together thrity-three years because we took those vows seriously... especially the "love, honor, and respect" part. I honor and respect my wife because I love her and because she loves me. She returns that love, and respect. We have our differences, and we've had some serious discussions, but at the end of the day, we kiss, say, "I love you" and look forward to another day together. It's worked so far.