As of today, my wife Trudy and I have been married 32 years. I’m greedy for 32 more.
Last week, without premeditation, we revisited many of the places that live in our memory. We’d flown to L.A. from our current home in Cincinnati, Ohio, to attend the Burbank International Film Festival, so it was a “working vacation.” But since we’d formerly lived in the area, including four years in Burbank, we were near many of the places where we’d loved, played, fought, and made up: my wife’s childhood home, our first apartment as well as our last before moving to Ohio with our kids, our favorite date night restaurants (Gordon Biersch, California Pizza Kitchen) and the AMC movie theater we so often attended on those date nights—where our own film was now screening!
Most emblematic of our journey together, however, was rocky Pirate’s Cove in Newport Beach where we’d sipped dark coffee from a thermos during a time our premarital relationship had grown equally rocky (interestingly, I’d also been baptized there). We wanted to love each other, but didn’t know how.
Now, just days before our 32nd Anniversary, we soared past Pirate’s Cove on a whale watching boat, heading out to open sea, no longer bound by a quaint but confining cove. We hugged the rail and each other as the wind intermingled our hair and the sun turned our faces the same coral red. “We’ve learned how to love each other,” I thought, “and we’re going to learn to love even better in the years to come.”
And that’s why I’m greedy for 32 more.
write the book, man. Tell us how you did it.
In a word: God. But here’s a bit more: https://mitchteemley.com/2016/09/15/something-wonderfully-wrong/
You have shared a lot of wonderful and beautiful thoughts, but none more so than this.
Congratulations for a milestone on a highway that endures. This is the first day of that second 32 years, and just look at how far ahead you are!
Aw, thanks, as always, dear Sarah.
That’s wonderful.. I wish you and your wife the best life has to offer
Thank you!
Good years. Congratulations to you both.
Beautiful Message! Wonderful that you have found the love of your life! Here’s to 30+ more years for you too to be together!
BLESSINGS ON YOUR HEADS!!!!
“Thank you!” Sincerely, Our Heads (and Hearts)
It is so reassuring to see people who know marriage is worth it, that they are worth it. That God is worth the risk.
Yes. Yes. And yes!
Congratulations on completing 32 years of happy togetherness, and celebrating the occasion in style! All the best wishes for another 32+ years! I love the sentiment and spirit! Stay blessed year after year!
Thank you, Ashok!
Just beautiful! Wishing you many more wonderful years together. Happy Anniversary to you two!
Thank you, Terri!
Ahhhhh, congratulations! 🙂
Cheers! 😊
Awesome!! My Man and I haven’t achieved that benchmark yet, but we sure threw caution to the wind when we embarked on this marital adventure – and it has been worth every single gram of blood, sweat, and tears as we’ve fought to keep it alive through the most unlikely of beginnings. We look forward to as many years more as the good Lord sees fit to give us – especially since each one is better than the last! Happy anniversary!
Thank you, Heather, and congrats-en-route to you, as well!
Congrats on this blessed anniversary and prayers for at least 32 more❤️
Thank you!
Brother, congratulations on 32 years! You are so right, about God at the center of a healthy marriage. I’m halfway there. But I know a couple married more than 50 years – and they have taught us “youngsters” how to thrive.
Yep! Thanks!
Congrats!!! I absolutely L😍💗E stories like this. I’m wishing you and yours another 32 years just as you desire! There’s just one problem, I like rounding to the next number in multiples of ten to sort of even things up, a silly habit of mine.☺ So, I’m wishing you and yours another 40 years of happiness.
I’m totally OK with another 40 years, Diane. ;>) Thanks!
Such a wonderful post! Congratulations to you and your beautiful bride. May you enjoy 32 more years.
My dad says he’s living to be 126. He doubled his age after open heart surgery at 63.
As long as God’s down with it, I plan to stick around for a while to come. Thanks, Tekoa!
Congratulations, Mitch! We just celebrated our 4th anniversary yesterday. Just 1/8 the amount of time you two have been going strong. Yes, here’s to 32 more!
Thank you! And happy anniversary to you, as well!
That is wonderful. Just wonderful!
Congratulations! I’m from SoCal and have most of my memories all over there too. Newport Beach being one of my favorites. Here’s to 32 more for you both!
Thank you!
Awww! Congratulations! I love it ” Greedy For Love” Wishing you many more years of Love and Blessings 😍
Thank you!
Thank you, Mitch. I grew up in CDM, Newport Beach, and Irvine. That image brought many wonderful memories back. Big Corona, Pirates Cove, China Cove. I am so grateful to have been exposed to those places of adventure as a kid. I feel a tinge of envy for the love you share with your bride.
Who knows, maybe we met somewhere along the line. Thanks!
CDM elementary k-3 university park 4-6
Irvine school 7th Rancho San Joaquin 8th Grade moved to Oroville for High school
I lived in CDM and Newport from ’74 through ’78, directed the Newport Beach Arts Festival and ran a school on Coast Highway called Newport Institute of the Arts. Also, grad student at UCI, ’76-’78
Congrats on your 32nd and your recent best film award Mitch. So much to be thankful for as God leads us to our highest good. Learning to love one another is what we all are made for. After 42 years of sharing my life with Germaine, each day becomes more precious than the one before. I continue to be amazed by what God has done for our relationship and look forward to having many more “Lessons in Love”.
A bundle of blessings to you and Trudy!
Aww, thanks, old buddy. Wishing you many more, as well!
You two are so deeply blessed! And yes, the only way we have done it is with God in our lives as well. Congratulations! I pray you have many, many more happy Anniversaries together! ❤️❤️
Thank you, Dori, wishing the same for you!
Thank you! 😊😊
What a wonderful time you’ve both been having recently, and you even managed to fit in a short break in a very special place. All good wishes for the next 32 years.
Thank you, Denise!
<3 (((Hugs))) and many congratulations, Mitch!!!
Thank you, Lucie!
Happy Anniversary! And I hope you do get 34 more years together!
2 bonus years! ;>) Thanks, Ann!
Well, dang, now that I read the post again, you did say 32 years didn’t you? Details have never been my strong point….sorry about that! But still, maybe you should go for those two bonus years!!!
My husband and I first met when we were 18 years old. We didn’t meet again until we were 48 years old. I am jealous of the 30 years we have missed with each other and greedy for the next thirty years. A happy, loving marraige is a wonderful thing! 🙂
Get your greed on, girl!
Happy Anniversary!
Congratulations! You will celebrate your anniversary with your future grand kids, then great grand kids. 🙂
I’d love that.
Greed on brother! You have a rare and wonderful thing. Also, blessings on the award. May Father God use it for His glory.
Thanks, you too, Joseph.
Happy Anniversary! I wish you many more to come. It is so wonderful to see people in love after many years together in this society where it is easier to throw it all away and start with someone new.
True indeed, Carla. The temptation to live self-serving lives (Genesis 3:5) infects the human race in many ways, but none so insidiously as in committed relationships. My wife and I are far from immune, but the Holy Spirit has bound us together–there’s no stronger glue in the universe.
Happy anniversary! Should be celebrated just as you have!
Thank you.
That was truly Beautiful…. God continue Blessing you both each and every moment.
Thank you. And you too.
You said it all, man! Wow
You’ve managed to make me miss some of my old haunts too. Belated congratulations Mitch and Trudy! Best wishes for the next 32 years.
Thank you, Roo!
congratulations
Best wishes for the next 32 years. From a youth who is a sucker for love! 🙂 Keep writing timeless content. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! And, yes, timeless-ness is certainly my intent, Locke.
I’m glad I got it right! Thank you 🙂
though i’m late reading this post but its really a nice view of life..
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hope you will find it interesting..
Congrats. Such a beautiful things ❤️❤️
Thank you.
Great story and I wish you and your wife many more years to come filled with happiness and joy.
Thank you!
Very interesting post…
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