Tonight, I just want to congratulate my sister and her husband on twenty five years as spouses.

In this world of instant dinners and ultra recyclables, when a couple survives 5 years- aye, 7, past the “itch”- they are heralded as stable. But storms still come. Ten years, and they are a strong couple. Fifteen, and they have weathered several staunch tempests, and have sunken some deep roots together as a team. Twenty, and if they have not hardened from the beatings of life and daily dwelling together, new love springs, when lesser things begin to fall aside, and the intimacy of aging together brings new bonds.

Twenty five is an anniversary of merit and equanimity. The long road that has been walked together thus far opens into a lush meadow of brilliant light and bright wild flowers. New dreams appear, the aftershocks of crisis met in young love are tamped, the future widens, and what once was important in the earlier years dims to new priorities.

You have come so very far together.

Twenty five is a long time when one thinks in terms of years. It’s a long time to be around someone, day in and day out.

But where there is love, it is a flash.

It was yesterday that Kristi and Frank got married.

And a long, long time ago, considering all the things they’ve experienced and seen since that day back then- new homes, new friends, new jobs, new places near and far, job changes, body changes, life changes, and building a family, seeing two sons go from infants to young men during the span.

Congratulations on twenty five together. I certainly hold your commitment to one another is great esteem.