Love, Zoom, and Marriage

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Have you ever recorded a Zoom conversation? With the basic account, the screen and audio quality don't often come out the best. Last week, I interviewed my parents, and the playback reminded me of Zoom’s flaws.

I am sure it would also help if I invested in a professional microphone. I digress...

My parents celebrated 45 years of marriage this month! I interviewed them on Zoom and uploaded the video yesterday in recognition of this major milestone. It is a blessing to witness their love for each other and think about the opportunities that a loving relationship can produce.

When you open yourself to love, nothing is impossible. Challenges are inevitable, but a relationship with commitment, shared values, and respect can hit any of life's curveballs out of the park.

Together my parents have raised six children. My five siblings and I are successful in a variety of capacities. Some are entrepreneurs, and others are employees engaged in meaningful community work. I have one sister, who is a Ph.D. student and serving as a great mother to her four children.

Ever so often, it is good to brag on the accomplishments of your family!

My parents’ example of love inspired my sisters and me to strive toward becoming the best version of ourselves. We haven't reached our potential, but like you, we are a work in progress.

As with any relationship, my parents have their high and low moments. In the infancy stages of their marriage, they decided that remaining together outweighed the problems that can accompany divorce. We talked about some of their marriage challenges during the interview and their advice for newlywed couples.

One theme that emerges from the interview is that their shared Christian values blessed them with patience, a strong commitment to each other, and the ability to make self-sacrifices on more than one occasion.

My father’s role as a church pastor and my mom’s partnership as the first lady dictated their public and private choices. They led a church that preached modesty and the refusal of behaviors that might conflict with their spiritual beliefs. Believe it or not, I never witnessed my parents shout at each other or drink any alcohol. Even the church’s communion was grape juice!

No marriage is perfect, but my mom and dad did their best to demonstrate a loving relationship.

Yes, they did lose their tempers. Raising six children could make a monk get upset! However, somehow they managed to direct their frustration toward us and not at each other.

My wife and I do not always respond to each other in the best tones. We don’t have shouting bouts, but we do have occasional disagreements. I owe some of my marriage and family approaches to the example that my parents provided at home.

The Zoom interview allowed me to reexamine my role as a husband and father. If you are married or in a serious relationship, I believe you will also find value in my parents’ reflections and marriage advice.

Due to the Zoom recording quality, I inserted captions for the first five minutes of the interview and, in other moments, where the sound dropped. I also edited the automated subtitles on YouTube to make sure that you wouldn't miss one word!

To date, this upload is the longest video to my family’s channel, La Vida Lindsay. I know you will enjoy the conversation and the b footage (wedding photos, family videos, and childhood pics), incorporated to entertain and educate you about the possibility of a loving partnership.

Choose love over hate and view the 45th wedding anniversary interview video here:

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