Brain Unveils The Truths And Triumphs Of A 25-Year Marriage

There is no manual to marriage. Couples will try and give you advice and some of it will sound like something right out of a self-help book. But the truth is that marriage is complicated. It is easy and hard all at the same time. There will be moments of extreme joy and happiness. There will also be times of sadness and disappointment. But what makes it all worth it, and what holds it all together is the person you choose to go on this journey with.

I have known my wife Holly for 30 years. Today, we have been married for 25 years. Sometimes it feels like a quarter century has passed. But most of the time I feel like I'm seeing her in our college photography class for the first time. I can remember hoping that one day she would talk to me. One day she did. We haven't stopped talking since. Our wedding day, October 2nd, 1999, is still a blur to me. I do remember how beautiful Holly looked in her dress. I remember the Hawkeyes had an away game that Saturday. I remember the cool, crisp weather and the sun cascading on the leaves when we took pictures.

We honeymooned, got an apartment, and then a house. We got a cat named Liddy. And then we had kids. Watching the woman you married become a mother is amazing, and no one loves our kids more than Holly. The kids grow and go to school. Suddenly all the time you had for each other is spent caring for others. Field trips. Sporting events. Driving them to a friend's house. Suddenly the years begin to fly by without rhyme or reason.

There is no more important job than being a parent. It takes patience, effort, and fortitude. But so does a successful marriage. It is a balancing act that can be tough for some couples. But in the end, it all comes back to that person you chose to walk down the aisle with. Are they worth working on things for? Are they worth fighting for?

25 years of marriage today. I can honestly say that most of those 25 years have been wonderful. Anyone who tells you that every moment of their marriage has been blissful is either delusional or a great liar. But I look at everything that we have been through as a couple and am proud of where we stand today. We continue to raise three amazing kids. But we also take time for ourselves. It is the little moments together that I love the most. And you know what they call a bunch of amazing little moments grouped together? A lifetime. I'm so blessed to spend mine with you, Holly.