My parents have been married for 53 years. Their marriage has taught me that conflict is healthy and that it's OK to have different interests.

• My parents met while traveling in 1971 and were married six months later. • I've learned a lot from their marriage of over 50 years that has inspired me in my own marriage. • They've shown me that conflict is healthy and normal, and so is having different interests.

My parents recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. They met while traveling through Spain in 1971 and married six months later.

My mom has always said it hasn't all been rainbows and butterflies. But they've worked through the hard times and persevered with their marriage, even when things have been tough.

Though I'd always secretly been terrified of commitment, I was also lucky enough to have their solid example of what a strong marriage could look like, and I married Sam — the love of my life — in 2015. T