by Christy Zenon

My mom and stepfather celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago. Every year at this time, I am reminded of what a good marriage theirs is. Having seen so many years together, they have a wealth of knowledge to share with me.

I have asked my mom, “What makes your marriage work?” The first answer she always gives is, “Work. It takes a lot of work to stay together.” Having been married myself, I now know the work that it takes.

You have to be able to compromise and even sometimes agree to disagree. This is hard for me to do. I am a very bull-headed, stubborn person. I like to be right…..all of the time… even when I’m wrong. This does not translate well to ANY relationship! I have a hard time letting go of the problem at hand and admitting when I’m in the wrong. Compromise is a bit easier. If we can both come to an agreement and meet in the middle, all the better!

My mom and stepdad are also best friends. This may sound like the simplest thing in the world, but some couples just don’t seem to have the friendship thing down before walking the aisle. Mom and Mike, that’s my stepdad, were very good friends for a while before getting married. They spent a lot of good quality time together before jumping into marriage. They took the time to have fun and get to know each other.

As a matter of fact, even so many years later, they are still getting to know each other and learning new things all the time.

Another thing that they always, always do is consult each other before ANY decision. Neither mom nor Mike makes too much of a move before speaking with the other. I never understood this is a teenager. Why did my mother have to involve Mike in decisions that I asked her about??? Now, as an adult, I get it. Whatever she does affects him.  Same goes with decisions that he makes.  There is discussion, and often times compromise when it comes to decisions!

One last thing: probably the most important thing. My parents always had God in their marriage.  We prayed before every meal. Every time the church doors were open, we were there. I’ve seen them kneel at the altar before. God was and is a very important presence in their home.

I’ve watched through the years, the acts of kindness and generosity that my parents have shown to others and each other. Not a day goes by where Mike does not do something nice for my mom, and vice versa.  You can see and feel the Christian love between them.

Yes, there will be arguments and disagreements. Yes, there will be angry words said. However, these are temporary. Each person in a relationship needs to learn to be willing to lose sometimes. (I’m speaking to myself, too… seriously, this is an issue with me!)  In the long run, the basis of the arguments or disagreements is not that big of a deal.

In the whole scheme of things, all that matters is the friendship and love between the couple and between the couple and the Lord.

As I said before, every year on my parents’ anniversary, I am reminded that true love DOES exist and there is someone out there for all of us! We just have to wait, be patient, and trust that God can instill in us the things needed to make that special relationship work.

-For my parents’ anniversary, I made a string-art letter representing their last name.
It is an inexpensive project that requires very little. There are other variations of this kind of art, but I used the cheapest variation I could find!
Items needed:
1. Small piece of plywood- I used 2ft x 2ft (pine, I think)

2. A box of small nails- (1/2 inch to 1 inch) you are not going to drive them all of the way through, but you need enough leeway to wrap string around

3. Spray paint

4. Embroidery thread- I used four of the little skeins that you can find for under $1.00 each at most places. First, I spray painted the plywood. I probably could have waited until after putting the nails in, but I didn’t. (You’ll see why I could have waited later.)
Second, I drew my pattern in pencil onto the board. This was a little tricky as I free-handed it, however you can use a stencil.
Third, I hammered the nails along the edges of the pattern (letter). I had no certain pattern, I just put them fairly close together along the lines.
Fourth… here is where I could have waited. I spray painted over the board once again.. .getting the nails this time.  I spray painted until all of the nails were covered and matched the board.
Fifth, was my favorite part. I tied the string to one of the corner nails and started wrapping around the other nails. At first, I had no set pattern in mind, but I fell into a rhythm and it ended up being pretty uniform (except for a couple of parts!). When I got to the end of the skein, I tied it off and started a new one. The ends gave me a bit of a problem, but I just cut those off as close to the nails as possible and tucked the remainder.

It’s as easy as that! It takes a little time, but it is easy and affordable! I hope you enjoy this project as much as I did!

Who is Christy Zenon?

I am a single mother, insurance agent, and part-time student.  I am just now at 34 discovering my love for crafts...Late, I know!  I don't do much in my spare time.  I like to read books, yes they still make them.  I like to surf the internet and learn new things.  (I spend way too much time doing just that) All of that side, I am a work in progress.  I am learning new things about life and myself everyday.  God is certainly not finished with this girl yet!