53 years

My parents are married for 53 years. I repeat that sentence out loud a few times. And then again, slowly. 53 years... No, there’s no way my brain is going to comprehend this. It’s beyond what I can understand.
Still I’m glad my parents are the living proof of the possibility for a long during commitment between two people. Oh, I’m sure they will have known their difficulties. But they never ran away from them and stayed pretty happy along the way.
Yes, you probably do sense a certain envy in these words...
I took them to the place where they got married July 16th 1953. City hall in Haarlem. Since my new job a too familiar spot for me.
It’s a historic place. The oldest parts of the building are 14th century. Luckily I know a guy who knows a lot about the history of this house. And fortunately he was prepared to give my parents and me a two hour tour through the building. With highlights as the old clink in the basement. And off course the cellar where you can still see a part of the watercourse of the former river The Beek. Really amazing.
But naturally my parents were just as happy to see those real secrets of that ancient building as to see the press desk in the council chamber at which their son frequently sits...