My grandparents have been married for 54 years. Their relationship has taught me 3 lessons about love I plan to follow.

"My grandparents, whom I call Papa and GG, have been together since they were teenagers and married for 54 years. As I've grown up, I've realized the secret to their lasting love hasn't been perfection or grand gestures. Instead, it's in finding joy and meaning in life's small, everyday moments. Their marriage has taught me how powerful a gentle, consistent love can be, and how beautifully it can shape everything around it."

"Whether it's by going on a spontaneous camping trip or navigating retirement together, my grandparents delight in discovering new things about each other. Both avid readers, they often will sit beneath their orange tree and share quotes from their books. After long Sunday walks through the park, they also like to continue their running card game of gin rummy, laughter, and nostalgic stories tumbling between them. Even after decades together, they also eat dinner with each other nearly every night."

"Every morning, for example, my Papa clips the "Love Is..." comic strip from the newspaper and places it on the kitchen counter for GG. He also writes poems, scribbled on notepads, painted on rocks, or sent as random texts throughout the day. Meanwhile, GG often sends photos of heart-shaped stones or leaves she finds on her walks, and they both leave handwritten notes in each other's suitcases when they travel."

A 54-year marriage is rooted in curiosity, small daily rituals, and creative, consistent expressions of care rather than perfection or grand gestures. Shared activities—spontaneous trips, reading together under an orange tree, Sunday walks, card games, and nearly nightly dinners—keep discovery and conversation alive. Simple habits such as clipping comic strips, writing poems, sending photos of found heart-shaped stones, and leaving handwritten notes reinforce intimacy. Physical affection and playful rituals anchor the relationship. Imagination, repetition, and attention to ordinary details build emotional safety, deepen shared history, and shape a steady, sustaining love.

Read at Business Insider