Once upon a time there was a couple who had been married for more than fifty years, Don Manuel and Doña Carmen. Everyone in the neighborhood admired them for their lasting union and unbreakable love. But what no one knew was what their secret was to staying happy for so long.
One afternoon, while they were enjoying their tea in the garden, one of their neighbors, Juan, could no longer resist his curiosity. He approached them and asked: “Don Manuel, Doña Carmen, what is the secret to maintaining such a happy marriage for all these years?”
Don Manuel smiled and responded: “Well, Juan, I’ll tell you our secret. Every time we have an argument or get angry, one of us retreats to the next room and writes on a piece of paper all the things we love about the other. “Then we reconvene and read aloud what we’ve written. It reminds us why we fell in love in the first place and makes us forget any anger we had.”
Juan was surprised by the simplicity and beauty of that approach. Years of marital happiness were based on such a beautiful and meaningful gesture.
From that day on, Juan shared the secret with other neighbors and friends, and many began to practice it in their own marriages. The community began to flourish with love and harmony, all thanks to Don Manuel and Doña Carmen, the couple who showed that even after many years married, love and happiness can be kept alive with a simple gesture of appreciation and gratitude.
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