Together Forever

The following article was written by CHS Journalism Student Abbey Barnes.
For some, being together for just a year seems like a lifetime, but for our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents, 20+ years is completely normal.

Many of our grandparents have been married for quite a long time. We wonder, “How can two people be with each other for that long?” It seems impossible for 30, 40, 50 years to pass and still be with each other, but when you’re in love, the years fly by and you don’t realize it.

Statistics show that in the United States the rate of marriage (for every 1,000 people in a total population) is 7.5. Over the country, each state has a different marriage rate. For example, in Nevada the rate is higher since many people get married in Las Vegas. States like Rhode Island though, have a lower rate seeing that there is a lower total population there.

Adding to those statistics, Charlevoix residents and my grandparents, Connie and Elaine Drury, have been married for 48 years. They met each other in Chicago, Illinois. Upon meeting each other, Elaine was a dental hygienist and Connie came in as a patient in their college years. They had seen each other at the dentist office plenty of times and he decided to ask her out. The first two times he asked, she said “no”, but, giving him a chance, the third time was a “yes”.

A year and a half later, they got married and decided to start a family. Their first child, Jeff was born in Kentucky when they were both in college. A year later they had another son, Gary, in Indiana where Connie was teaching. About two years later, they decided to move to Charlevoix. In 1966, they had a daughter, Pam and in 1970, their fourth child, Dan, was born. With all four of their kids growing up in Charlevoix, the Drury’s decided not to move again.

“I never would have thought Connie and I would end up getting married and having a family. If I wouldn’t have given him a chance, my life would never have been this great, “ said Elaine.
In 48 years, you learn every pet-peeve, weakness, and strength of each other.

“After all those years of being together, you see each other in different situations. You either see the happy side of them or the sad. It allows you to learn what makes them that way and you remember that over the years,” said Connie.

Is there a trick to staying married for that long? Or is it just because two people have found each other, that were meant to be?

We all can agree that it is just because two people have found each other that were meant to be. And nothing more than that. There are, of course, the up and downs of marriage, but the Drury’s (and many others) have overcome those and made it for many years.

“We all have our differences but to last through years of marriage, you need to learn to work around them,” said Elaine.

It amazes many teenagers to see their grandparents together for such a long time. As opposed to, how they find themselves a new boyfriend/girlfriend every other week! For teenagers, having a boyfriend or girlfriend for 3 months feels like a long time, but being together for 50 years would feel like a lifetime!

“Whether you are a teenager, adult or senior, the key to marriage is just to be happy with the one you are with. If you make each other laugh and you like to be together, chances are high that it will work,” explained Elaine. Connie added his words of wisdom, “When you get married, it’s the only license that doesn’t expire!”