For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 03, 2021

My folks stayed together for 74 years. We were really looking forward to their 75th, but then dad passed away.

In Canada before 1968, the only grounds for divorce were adultery or cruelty and you had to produce a witness to prove it. However, in 1968, the Divorce Act was amended to permit divorce for other reasons, including physical and mental cruelty and separation for at least three years. The Divorce Act was amended in 1986 to reduce the separation period to one year, with no requirement to prove “fault” by either spouse. So when this comic strip was originally published in 1992, no-fault divorces in Canada were only 6 years old.

Elly is complaining about those new-fangled no-fault divorces. She misses the good old days.

Jim and his wife are always depicted as very old and a bit decrepit, but it is also suggested that they married quite young (early-mid twenties). If that’s the case, then they should only be in their late 60s, early 70s. I know people’s health etc does vary enormously but even so!

My maternal grandparents were married from 1938 to Grandpa’s death in 2007; Grandma died the following year a few months later. Fifty-nine years sure seemed long. As for my paternal grandparents, I think they were married in 1931 to Grandma’s death in 1971; Grandpa died in 1982. Thirty-nine years seemed kind of long.

People nowadays don’t invest much into their marriages. It is just easier to move on and possibly to a better relationship. Sometimes that does happen and often just repeats of the first marriages. People would have done so a long time ago if it was not so frowned upon by society and religious institutions. Took people a long time to realize it is unhealthy to be forced to stay married for the sake of appearances. Some stay married to hide abuse or insecurity as in being afraid of being alone or for financial reasons. I know couples who stayed married for financial reasons and sleep in separate bedrooms. They remain good friends.

Sorry Liz, it’s unavoidable.

…. *spoiler alert* … Don’t worry, Elizabeth. In 15 years or so, you, your family, and some of Michael’s friends will play a major role in the destruction of a marriage between two people whom you don’t even know yet..

Lynn Johnston divorced her husband of 30 years.

I almost choked on my tea when I read the first panel: TODAY is our 36th anniversary! However, we almost never celebrate on the actual day; we celebrate all Labor Day weekend! Tomorrow we’re taking our younger daughter to a local annual car show, and Sunday our older daughter insisted that we go see her at college so she can celebrate with us.

“Secret to a long marriage? Don’t leave, don’t die” Can’t remember who said that.

sadly Lynn and her husband got divorced after the strip ended

Yeah, what kind of foreboding speech was that?! Dude!!

On their 50th, I asked friends if they had ever in all those years considered divorce. She said “Divorce – no. Murder – yes.”

husband and I been married over a year and a half. Due to him being 13 year older I doubt we will have a 50th anniversary and beyond.

My wife and I were married for 34 years when she died suddenly and unexpectedly in March 2021 at the age of 53. We were on our way to try to outdo her Grandparents who were married for over 60 years. I really knew it wasn’t probably going to happen because I “was” 8 years older than her and I would have had to live into my 90’s for that to happen. We were together for over half of our lives.

They must have had kids late in life…

Coming up on 60 by Sept 30. I honestly don’t know why she has put up with me all these years.

My wife and I are mere newly weds. 53 years. Hang in there.

Pep talks can help. 51 years here. Got married at 19.

Per Ed Crankshaft, you never see young people having 50th anniversaries these days.

Tis rather bizarre to think of 43 years as such a long time since my wife and I have been married that long; but then on reflection even our grandchildren are adults now, so I guess it truly is.

My folks have made it to 51 years and counting. But then, my mother isn’t Elly.

MY 25th Anniversary with my 2nd husband is next month. I was married to my first for 11 years.

48

My wife and I had 27 years, 8 months, 9 days, 17 hours, and 45 minutes, and I treasure it all.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t

Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t

Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the ‘Funky Chicken’On your 75th wedding anniversary

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too muchOr berate yourself either

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s

50 (happy) years today!

I mean, it depends. My parents tried, but I think they stopped being happy around 5 years in. They were married over 50 years (I did the math) when my father died and nobody celebrated. It was sad. The marriage counselor asked me (age 14) if I thought they should divorce. I did, but couldn’t say it. They lived another 30 sad but dutiful years together. I guess you can work at it with therapy and determination and still be unhappy. Or you can be lucky and its OK. But staying together isn’t always great, laws or none.