Our Rural Roots

Jennifer Campbell, Contributor

Next month, Chris and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage. I wanted to write 28 years of wedded bliss and our 30th anniversary, but my husband wasn't amused by that line.

I have all the traditional thoughts that go along with a marriage that has lasted 30 years. We have three amazing and successful kids who are full-functioning adults, a successful business partnership and loads of memories that make my soul smile. Still, I won't lie to myself or you, marriage isn't easy.

I often ask myself why or how we make it work. I am a dig-my-heels-in stubborn person and have a temper, to put it mildly. He is calm, patient and understanding. I'm a really good cook and have a great sense of humor. He's a really good eater and laughs at all my "that's what she said" jokes!

I Googled "stages of marriage," but no one seems to agree on how many stages there are. So, I can't tell you where we are in this life together, but we are surviving and, in my opinion, thriving. We live, eat, breathe and work/farm together -- it's not always pretty, but at the end of the day we look forward to doing it all again tomorrow.

We are best friends. I'm sure it started out as just love, but we are fortunate to still love each other and like each other, most of the time.

We've pushed the limits of those customary vows, through sickness and in health, through good times and bad. Back surgery, cancer, hog market crash, raising children, planting, harvesting -- all the things that make life. The good, the bad and the ugly.

So, I'm thanking the good Lord for the last 30 years and looking forward to the next 30 and facing it together.

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-- Jennifer (Jent) Campbell writes from an Indiana family farm alongside her husband, Chris. She also writes a blog called Farm Wife Feeds (https://www.farmwifefeeds.com/…). Follow her on Twitter @plowwife and on the podcast @girlstalkag

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