The Lesson About Love My Parents Gave Me on Their 40th Anniversary

We gathered as a family to celebrate my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. Everyone wore matching red shirts, the house smelled of a warm dinner cooking in the oven, and a bakery cake sat on the counter — the same kind my mom always insisted was “too much.” Before we sat down to eat, I took a photo of my parents smiling together. But when I looked closer, I noticed something about my mom’s smile. It didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Later, while we were cleaning up, I quietly asked if she was alright. She paused for a long moment before saying softly, “He’s a good man, just… not quite the same man I married.” She went on to explain how love can slowly drift when small hurts are left unspoken, how people can grow apart without realizing it until the distance feels too wide to cross.

Then she looked at me with a seriousness that made my chest ache and said, “Promise me you won’t wait 40 years to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.”

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