Peter and I met Sarah on the same day. She was sitting with the other girls on the beach and while I rolled a cigarette and acted cool, Peter made a beeline for Sarah and hasn’t left her side since. And so I’ve had the rare privilege of watching their relationship develop over time, and growing up as they did.

Photo by Sanja Gjenero

I noticed right away that they were perfect complements; Sarah, the even-keeled one, and Peter, tacking from one crazy scheme to another. Sarah got Peter to think about the future, attend college, to make plans. And Peter took Sarah flying on the back of his motorcycle and taught her to ski. I also noticed that they attracted people, and this quality remains true to this day. Friends of all ages flock to Sarah and Peter the way kids gather around a campfire, drawn to the intimacy, the camaraderie, the warmth of their flame. They have kept that fire lit through 45 years of marriage—45 years of travels and kids, of jobs and moves and deaths, heartaches and joys. Through it all, they retained a love for one another, and a sense of fun and lightheartedness, that continues to serve as a beacon to us all. And so, dear friends, on this, your 45th wedding anniversary, I salute you, and I beg you to do us all a favor: don’t change a single thing.