Wisdom of Marriage: Photos of 104 Couples Show What It Takes to Make a Relationship Work

'I am inspired by elders, and we can all learn from their life experiences if we just listen to them.'

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Inspired by the wisdom of elders, a Canadian photographer has compiled 104 portraits of married couples into a book, in reverence of partnership and the wisdom it takes to make it work in the long term.

Portrait photographer Jodi Sware, 50, of Northern Alberta has herself been married 28 years and is a mom of four. She started her project Wisdom of Marriage three years ago as part of a larger personal endeavor, The Wisdom Project.

“I started out planning to include couples married over 40 years, but some couples were so inspiring that I’ve included a few in the mid-30s,” Jodi told The Epoch Times. “I was hoping to convey that maintaining a long-lasting relationship is worth the hard work, that we shouldn’t always throw in the towel when things get hard, and they inevitably do. My main goal was to highlight and honor the couples who make it this many years.”

Working mainly during the pandemic, Jodi stayed within her immediate community, collecting words of wisdom from her subjects as she took their photos. She shared a number of her favorite quotes, anonymously.

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

“Once married, I vowed to myself to be a better man. It is a daily challenge; sometimes you gain and sometimes you lose, but you never quit trying.”

“Love is a verb, an action word that doesn’t depend on how we feel in the moment.”

“There is an old adage that, in marriage, a husband would make major decisions and his wife the minor, day-to-day ones. I can say with certainty we have never faced a major decision in 50 years.”

“Marriage may start with love, but a sense of humor keeps it happy!”

“It helps if you are first friends. You need to like your partner as well as love them.”

“There are inevitable rough gravel roads on the journey. Work hard together to get back to smooth pavement.”

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Jodi says the most common advice she received was to be kind, honest, and compassionate toward your partner. Her subjects implored that communication is key to long-lasting happiness, as well as a balance of common and individual interests.

She also cited a favorite memory from her Wisdom of Marriage portrait tour.

“I asked one couple about their early years,” she said, “and they told me about the husband taking a second job to pay for his wife’s engagement ring back in the ‘50s. Their daughter had never heard the story, and it was really touching.”

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Jodi, who lives on a third-generation family farm with her husband and four children, aged 13 to 26, was inspired to pick up a camera after becoming a mom. Before, she owned a flower shop.

The passionate photographer shoots with a Canon 5D Mark IV camera and Canon lenses, post-processing with Lightroom and Photoshop. She shares The Wisdom Project and other work on her website.

Her first book, “Wisdom of Our Elders,” featured 78 elders and their advice for others. She was originally inspired by the work of an Australian photographer, Liz Arcus, and the project in its totality keeps her “feeling inspired and fulfilled” when work becomes overwhelming.

“I like to shoot who I want, and how I want to shoot them; it gives so much freedom, artistically,” she said. “I am inspired by elders, and we can all learn from their life experiences if we just listen to them. I also do this project to help them feel valued and important in our community.

“Love is worth the work! Please honor our elders by listening to them, and remembering how valuable a resource they are in our society.”

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

Courtesy of Jodi Sware

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