Fur, Fowl and Follies: Friday Follies

Tomorrow will mark a great day in our family history - my parents will reach a half century of marriage - their Golden Wedding Anniversary. I'd like to say wedded bliss, but anyone that's been married knows that the term married bliss only exists in the same world as Prince Charming, one-size-fits-all and suggested serving size.

I'm sure there are blissful marriages, but a good, solid and real marriage takes work, sometimes more, sometimes less, but the rewards definitely outweigh the sacrifices. In my opinion, if your marriage is blissful, someone is suppressing their feelings. It is impossible to live with someone and share your lives together without completely getting on each others' nerves at times. Spouses should challenge each other, be a place for safe, heated and great debates, and should tell you to pull your head in when you are being a dick or a prima donna. In these throwaway and disposable times, it is so nice to know that people do believe in commitment, integrity and unconditional love.

Awwww.

Long marriages are such a rarity, in fact, that they even get recognised by the Queen in Commonwealth countries. Mum and Dad will have to stick it out a bit longer though - Lizzie only sends out a message for 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries. In fact, the Queen might have to send a message to herself - she and Prince Philip have been married for 65 years. With all of the pressure in their lives, crazy work schedules and public scrutiny, I think that is amazing. You can still see that twinkle in their eyes when they look at each other.

The world's longest recorded marriage is 86 years, 9 months and 16 days for Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher. The marriage only ended because of Herbert's death at 106 years old (which is remarkable in itself).

Rudolph and Jean - whoops!

At the other end of the spectrum, the world's shortest Hollywood marriage on record was between Rudolph Valentino and Jean Acker. As she would not let him in to the honeymoon suite, he gave up after 20 minutes and went home to start divorce proceedings. They didn't put much work into that, did they?

Don't think that it is just the younger generation think that marriage isn't forever and something to be shed like the season's latest fashions. The oldest couple to divorce were 98 years old, ending a 36 year marriage. I'm not sure who was more pissed off at who - Bertie or Jessie Wood - but imagine going to all of that trouble just shy of your 100th birthday? Why bother. Of course, Bertie may have left the toilet seat down one too many times, or thought that his Jessie would really love those one-size-fits-all jeggings that he purchased on late night TV. Divorce proceedings are understandable in those circumstances.

Glynn and one of his many wives

Some people love to be married and would curl up into a lonely and sad ball if they had to be alone. One such person was Glynn Wolfe. Glynn, a Baptist minister, holds the record for the largest number of monogamous marriages - 29 in total. His longest marriage was 11 years and the shortest was 19 days. Marriages number 1, 8, 9 and 23 ended due to death (the wives, not Glynn's), while the rest were due to divorce, with one annulment. The last marriage was over due to his death in 1997. Even with 29 wives, 19 children, 40 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, no one collected his body after his death. I think there may have been a reason for all of those divorces, don't you?

We were fortunate enough to grow up in a stable (I use stable in the 'solid' sense, not in the mental sense!) family, and all of our parent's friends and our friend's parents were in long term, committed marriages, with divorce being extremely uncommon. I am forever grateful that I was raised with these examples of relationships as it has given me the tools to enjoy and nurture my own marriage.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary, Mum and Dad!