How About Some Good News?

My OH and I have been together for over forty years. He's my best friend. We are like chalk and cheese and occasionally drive each other mad but generally make a lot of allowances for each other, respect our differences and have quite a lot of fun.

I'm the one with madcap schemes, he's the one who keeps all our feet (almost) on the ground. He used to buy me jewellery and pretty undies but after all these years he's come around to the fact that I would prefer a new orbital sander. In fact my Easter box was a new Dremel.

During lockdown we've had a Scrabble competition, playing every day.

I say well done to the OP for encouraging people to broadcast some of the nice things about our releationships.

Lucca

Re my post about signalling....in case it wasn’t obvious, this was tongue in cheek.

Good lucca I’m a bit dim at times.

My DH spent some time away in a course for work and proudly came home with a present for me.

It was a clown made of Papier-mâché . It was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. It was such a relief when the new puppy chewed bits off it.

We've been married for 50 years. We get along quite well. Some of our interests are the same, some different. He is kind and tolerant. He still has good hair, is slim and fit at 74, none of which can be said for me!

Witzend
I was once accused of flaunting my wealth by a poster. So now I'm very wary about revealing personnel information.

Meryl...aren’t you the wealthy poster who once bought a new toaster??

We are a happy married couple too....50 years ( still amazes me.)The old adage of ‘give and take’ is a very true one.We make each other laugh, and snuggle on a sofa to watch tv.We have enough similar interests to keep us chatting, but also enough differences to do our own thing, go out and about etc.
The last ten years have been tremendously happy ones in spite of family sadnesses.

It has taken me almost 50 years to make my husband the man he is today.

I could write the op too! Except the knickers - I dont wear the sort he'd bring home!

Whitewave ‘My DH spent some time away in a course for work and proudly came home with a present for me.

It was a clown made of Papier-mâché . It was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. It was such a relief when the new puppy chewed bits off it.’

?????

Lemon
It wasn't any old toaster but a 6 slicer ?

It is good to hear happiness stories in the midst of all the doom and gloom at the moment.

and to all the happy couples

Yup still going strong after 44 years! Been amazed how well we have jogged along during lockdown with a bit of tolerance and patience and a lot of laughter. Wish he was a bit more sociable like me, but can't have it all and definitely wouldn't change him for a different model!

Do we all sound like a smug lot??

So lovely to read of all the happily marrieds, so sorry to read of the unhappy. There is so much sadness around.
This morning, a neighbour found their son dead in bed.
We lost our son at the same age, 30 years ago. It is impossible to be happy under those circumstances, but we have to make the best of things, if we are to survive.
Make the most of your happiness in whatever way that you can!

Puzzled

42 years of marriage for us. It’s not always easy, we take very traditional roles i.e. I cook and clean, he does DIY and plays golf a lot - but we have a good life and are blessed with loving family, friends and fairly good health.
Not wishing to boast as I know others have lost their beloved partners.

Puzzled that's so awful.

That is so cruel Puzzled, heartbreaking for you, and your neighbour also.
It is not the order of life as we know it, to lose our children while we still live. ?

Thank You, All.
In a while, we will express our sorrow for the family to them. Life is never the same afterwards. The tragedy brought us closer together as a couple and as a family, but we never forget.
We have had more than enough sorrow.
This is why we value our affection, and the happy times together, and look for joy.

Really, I can't see the point of a "my life is wonderful" thread. In my view, if you are happy with your life and relationships that should be satisfaction enough and you shouldn't feel the need to advertise it.

But if people are unhappy and feeling stressed they probably need some sort of anonymous outlet through which they can express how they're feeling - and perhaps receive some advice and a little bit of sympathy.

Oh I am so sorry to see your post eleothan

To my mind there has been little enough joy around over what now seems years, and I can’t see the harm in sharing joy and pleasure. That’s not to feel smug or satisfied, but the chance to share what we have that we treasure.

Please don’t think that there is no room in our happiness for empathy or sympathy, in fact I think we may well be emotionally secure and strong enough to be in a position to give as much support and help that is needed.

What whitewave said.

Another one here happily married for 50+ years . I’ve been very lucky. Never had a present of knickers, pretty of otherwise though. Reluctant to go into more detail to preserve my anonymity and to avoid looking smug.

I'm sorry some see this as a 'my life is wonderful' thread.

My life hasn't always been wonderful - I've lost a brother to suicide, and one to cancer, both in their thirties. We nursed my FiL through six years of illness, including three years of dementia before he died. My own DF is very ill and requires constant attention, and my DM needs a lot of support. My BiL has been very ill for ten years.

My life isn't wonderful, but my OH generally is. Apart from the times when he isn't . We have our ups and downs like most people, and I'm very grateful that over the years there have been more ups than downs. I may sound smug but I'm not - I've seen too much death and illness over the last ten years to think our situation won't ever change for the worse, so I enjoy it while I have it.

Many of the posts have made me laugh, like the papier-mache clown, so how can that be a bad thing?

Maybe it is more to do with our personalities. My mother once accused me of being too much of a bloody pollyanna.

We have had awful times too. We have looked after 4 parents who have died, I had a missed abortion, our son had a stroke (aged 35) and various other awful things have happened, but we have pulled together because we are optimistic about the future.

I think it is rather nice to share good news - except of course when it gets written off as “signalling”: or boasting.
I am for instance extremely chuffed that my DGS (10) has been offered a place on the Royal Ballet School Junior Associate programme.

It was just the pick me up I needed!

I posted that we've been married 50 years and we get on well. My life is far from wonderful.

The last thing we need on Gransnet is more doom and gloom threads. DH and I have been married for 52 yrs and there are times when you'd think we'd end up throttling eachother. After two terrible years though and DH's health still a bit dodgy, it's our togetherness that has seen us through.

Maw, I watched a repeat of Terry Wogan's programme about his foodie journey in a taxi. They visited the Royal Ballet School in Birmingham.

Good Luck to your grandson.