I have always believed that love is not simply a noun, but a verb—an action word—as you have to keep doing the things you do to prove it. Loving is not a mere feeling, but an obligation and a choice, because feelings fade in time, but you have to choose your person every minute, every single day…just like in marriages. Despite the statistics of failed marriages, there are ones that last. Ask these couples whose marriages have thrived, and they will tell you that it takes a lot of work, commitment, respect, loyalty, and a massive dose of love to get going, even when the going gets tough.
The marriage of “MV” (who chose not to disclose her identity in this feature) and her husband is the perfect example. She married her first and only boyfriend and now, they have been together for almost 25 years this coming May 17! “We started dating in college. I knew him through common friends, as one of his closest friends is my younger sister’s boyfriend,” MV recalled how they became a couple. But back in the 90s, MV was “ghosted”—her beau left without communicating for almost six years. So, they drifted apart. All of a sudden, he came back, asked her hand for marriage in 1996, and they tied the knot a year after.
After almost 25 years into the marriage, and with two wonderful grown children, MV is still relishing a healthy and happy relationship that has remained steadfast all these years.
“For me, Valentine’s Day is just a celebration of love that we give and share to our special someone, our family, friends, the people that really matter to us and especially ourselves. My husband used to give me gifts not just on Valentine’s Day and other special occasions, back when we were dating. I believe that love is not just measured by the material things that we receive or by the acts of love like flexing in social media, as they say. Knowing that we both have the same love language which is ‘acts of service’, we usually celebrate Valentine’s Day by doing our normal routine, spending time together, no giving gifts and surprises, just more on enjoying the moment as it is,” MV, who has always been happy and content by simply spending it with her husband, shared.
Indeed, when a couple walks down the aisle, people will give them tips like “never go to bed angry” but of course, this does not necessarily apply to everyone. With the rising number of couples over 50 calling it quits, it may seem ridiculous to think how a marriage like MV’s and her husband could rise above all these to prove that marriages are imperfectly perfect, but could actually survive.
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MV’s story is part of “The Different Faces of Valentine’s Day,” a profile series made by POP! to show the different ways people see this event and how they celebrate it. Click on the image below to return to the main article.
Click on any image below to read other Valentine’s Day stories from this series
