Six Decades of Dedication

I’m using today’s Carp’s Corner to shine a light on my parents. You see, today is their 60th wedding anniversary and even though my father died 22 years ago, Mom still celebrates the day by sending herself a large bouquet of flowers and reminiscing about dates, vacations, and other memories from the 38 years they were together.

The 60th Wedding Anniversary is known as the Diamond Anniversary and while there won’t be any diamonds from Dad for her to open, a bright floral arrangement will be a beautiful reminder of all their happiness and history that officially started on a warm summer day in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1962.

Their relationship started in Boston while Dad was in graduate school at Harvard University and Mom was getting her master’s degree in Education from Harvard as well. Mom was in the Harvard Infirmary and Dad brought her an apple. Other boys had brought her flowers and she liked the different approach of the aspiring Landscape Architect from Jacksonville.

After the wedding in Connecticut, they made stops in Tampa, Florida, Billings, Montana, Ithaca, New York, and settled in Columbus, Ohio in 1971. They also enjoyed vacation homes in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Kalispell, Montana during spring breaks and the long summers while Dad wasn’t teaching at The Ohio State University.

The word diamond comes from the Greek word adamas which means “unconquerable and enduring.” Had it not been for the much-too-early death of my father, it sure would be fun to see where they would be now. The pride they would be sharing for their three successful sons, all still happily married, and the fun of watching them get to watch their grandchildren grow up and find success of their own.

Consistency and Commitment

I am not sure if my Mom or Dad had any secrets about their successful marriage any more than a successful Realtor or business would. Sixty years is a long time. Heck, in some instances, 60 minutes or 60 days can seem like a lot of time. Consistency and commitment are not just secrets to a successful marriage but they are also traits of a successful career.

It’s about showing up every day and trying to become better. There is listening and compromise needed. There will be many memorable moments sprinkled in between even more forgettable, mundane days. Some days you’ll be excited about what’s on the schedule and other days you’ll need to remind yourself to keep going.

What streaks can you focus on this week to keep working towards a great year?

Could you take a listing or connect with a new buyer every month? How many days in a row could you send a handwritten note to a past client or personal connection? How many years have you been loyal to your current brokerage?

Build relationships, solve problems, and have fun today and then try to do it again tomorrow…and the next day, and the next day after that. Who knows? Maybe you’ll follow Mom and Dad’s example and many years from now you’ll be celebrating a pretty big milestone.

Just be sure to order yourself a pretty bouquet of flowers to celebrate.