Joyfully Married: New Book

Joyfully Married

It is truly a gift when an author gives us a ray of sunshine and hope. This is the case with a new book, Joyfully Married –  Wisdom from Couples Married 50 or More Years, by Jeanne Curcio. There is more than enough doom and gloom to go around with the evils rampant in the world and in the church. But every once in a while an effervescent beam of brilliant light shines through the clouds. Such is the case with Mrs. Curcio’s book.

Joyfully Married is a much-needed counterpoint to a world in which we hear again and again that more than half of marriages end in divorce or annulment and that “marriage” can be whatever anyone wants it to be with whoever or whatever one pleases.

The book’s simple premise – that there are many folks out there who have been married, happily, blissfully, joyfully for over 50 years – belies the hours of work that evidently went into gathering the wisdom conveyed in the stories of these half-century-married couples. It would be beyond wishful thinking to hope that at some point there is a series of video recordings of each of these couples talking about what has happened in their lives and how it has been possible for them to stay together for so long.

Mrs. Curcio asked over 20 couples a simple question: “ What has kept you joyfully married for 50 or more years?” Two of the couples were married for over 60 years. One was married for almost 70 years. The most common factors appearing in many of the responses are God; faith; commitment, respect, friendship, and liking each other in addition to loving each other; and having a sense of humor. Doing things together, dancing, skiing, listening, being there, having a healthy sense of humor, saying “Yes, honey,” and not going to bed mad were important to many of the couples.

Kissy-face and huggy-body moments also had an important role for several of the couples.

Richard & Merry Carol, married 1968: Starting and ending each day with a kiss.

Bill & Paula, married 1965: Holding hands.

Don & Judy, married 1960: Giving each other a kiss at the start and end of each day.

One of the many virtues of Joyfully Married is its relative brevity. It is as if the author distilled the essence of these successful marriages into a succinct, pithy, comprehensive outline for How To Do Marriage. For this reason, this book can be poignant, useful, and helpful for those who are dating; those who are engaged; and those who are married. In the realm of such books, it would be unequalled as a discussion starter and sharing catalyst for a couple, a class, a seminar, a conference, or for a group considering how to have a happy, joy-filled marriage.

On a final note, Joyfully Married is simply a “good read.” The reader will find that he or she is smiling without realizing it when reading many of the couples’ responses. Also, the love of these married persons for one another will make the reader realize that, indeed, heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. Joyfully Married was published earlier this year by Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, and can be ordered through the publisher directly or on Amazon.com.