Written By John R. Greenwood |  Photos Provided

It started with one simple request, "Honey, would you please change the aerator in the bathroom faucet?" 

This story could be the defining moment of my writing career. Having owned a home since my early twenties, the experiences I've logged would provide enough material for a 26-volume collection. People across the country can identify with stories that begin with a similarly simple sentence. Volume #1. could be "Trips to the ER and How They Happen." Volume #2. could describe in detail the damage that occurs when a husband is left alone in a hardware store with a fresh credit card. Volume #3. would tell the tales of the decades-old projects stacked in the back of the garage, the original plan long forgotten. What began as a $3.98, three-minute repair became an elongated transmutation requiring large amounts of cash, checkbooks, credit cards, and taking bottles back for the deposit. I'm glad to report that I did finish that particular bathroom renovation over a decade ago, just in time for our 39th anniversary. 

Since the theme of this issue is Home & Garden and because Mrs. G. and I will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this June, I wanted to share some marital wisdom with my fellow man and reveal the #1 secret to a happy marriage. 

"Separate Bathrooms."

To clarify, Mrs. G. and I purchased our starter home from the happily married couple who built it. We would spend the next half-century transforming our modest one-story ranch into our retirement home, with no downsizing necessary. Although the "his and hers" bathrooms are tiny in scale, they have been hand-crafted with care by the people in the mirrors.  

I want to share a piece I wrote to my wife for our anniversary in 2013. The sentiment continues to grow on a daily basis. 

To my wife: I am sending you a simple anniversary message from my heart to yours. It is an open message meant to spread a little love from our hearts to the hearts of others. I ask anyone reading this to refrain from commenting. Instead, I ask that you reflect on someone dear to you. It may be a spouse, parent, or sibling. Maybe it's that new baby on the way or the toddler in your lap. Perhaps you have a loved one serving their country in a far-off land or living in another state too distant for you to stop by and say hello. Reflect briefly on what that loved one means to you and how different your life might be if they hadn't turned up on your doorstep. We need to do more of that these days. We take everything for granted. We expect instant potatoes and gourmet meals in thirty minutes or less. In this world of 'me,' we expect more and give less. The greatest gift I ever received came from my wife. She has given me that gift in small daily doses for 39 years. It is the gift of 'unselfishness.' I am a slow learner and a stubborn student. It has taken me years to realize how unselfish a mother and wife must be. They sacrifice holidays and cold dinners for others. They put themselves at the back of the line regardless of how long that line is. I now understand how fortunate I have been. 

We are surrounded by selfless loved ones who want only the best for us. They want us to be safe on the way home, our bellies full, and our faces smiling. These loved ones don't think about it; they simply do it. It comes naturally to them. 

To my wife, I love you. I thank you for not skimping on anything you do for me. To everyone reading this, you have a person who is long overdue for a hug, a kind word, or maybe a handwritten letter. Don't wait another minute. Grab a pen, car keys, or phone, or yell across the street. The person who means so much to you deserves it. Spread the love. After all, there's not a day that someone isn't celebrating an anniversary somewhere. 

Happy Anniversary, Mrs. G.  Love, John