My mother and father-in-law celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a party this weekend. Crazy, eh! It’s a long time and almost unimaginable but without a doubt fantastic.
Everyone at the party was saying how wonderful it was and how amazing to have been together for so long. Very true. Whilst for their generation this isn’t unusual it still is quite rare. Sixty years. Six decades of choosing each other. For many of us, this is something we can only aspire to, and given the ages at which many of us now meet our partners, reaching anywhere close to those numbers is highly unlikely.
But that’s what got me thinking. Whether it’s love, career, or something else entirely, we all have some level of commitment in our lives. It might not be sixty years of marriage, but it’s still something we show up for time and time again.
Commitment isn’t something we shout about. It’s not always glamorous with champagne and fireworks and it can be seen as boring. Yet it’s the building blocks of what matters. Watching my in‑laws celebrate their milestone made me reflect on what commitment actually looks like day to day. It isn’t the big celebrations, instead it is the small, repeated choices and action we both take and make. It is about patience, compromise, listening and adapting. You have to stay present and push through even when life gets in the way or the going gets tough.
(Just an FYI both of my in-laws are deaf so listening is an even greater skill requiring a lot of patience.)
When you stop and look at the bigger picture, you realise commitment shows up everywhere. We commit to our relationships, our wellbeing, our routines, our friendships, our work, our personal growth. Sometime these commitments last decades and others last a week. Some feel effortless and others go on and on but each one helping shape who we become.
I think that’s why a 60th anniversary feels so impressive. It remind us that meaningful things are not to be rushed. It takes time to grow them, through consistency, patience, and keeping on. You don’t get to sixty years by accident. You get there through loads of small moments. Individually they seem nothing but ordinary, however, together they create something extraordinary and magical.
If we take this into our own lives, we don’t need sixty years to prove our dedication, instead we just need to keep showing up for what matters to us. it could be our partner, family, career, hobbies or even our sense of purpose. Commitment isn’t about reaching a milestone, it is about recognising the journey.
Thinking about wellbeing, commitment plays a huge role there too. It is easy to imagine taking care of yourself is about big gestures such as spa days, or a dramatic life change. But really, it is built from the same small, choices that sustain a long marriage. Think about it. Small every day activities like drinking water, going outside or even taking a long slow breath when you are feeling stressed. These practices help you feel grounded, even when life gets busy. They are certainly not the party streamer moments, but powerful, quiet commitments we make to ourselves.
Commitment isn’t always perfect. There are days when we want to give up, or feel pulled in other directions. There might be times when our routines and rituals take a dip. Commitment isn’t about perfection, it is about not giving up, returning and noticing when we’ve wandered off the path and can guide ourselves back.
Seeing my in‑laws surrounded by family and friends, celebrating and sharing memories, made me realise how beautiful commitment can be. It’s about going through life’s ups and down, showing up and never giving up.
Maybe that’s the real magic of a 60th anniversary. It’s not the number, but the story behind it. The story of two people who kept choosing each other through every moment of life. The story of resilience, patience, love, laughter and compromise. Where a single day looks ordinary but together they create something extraordinary.
This is an opportunity to look at our own commitments regardless of how big or small and recognise how valuable they are. We should be proud of how we are showing up and celebrate how through dedication and time our lives are shaped.
As you go into the new week, think about your commitments, the time they have taken and how they shape your life.
Thank you for reading, have a great week and look after you.
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 