"My mother and stepfather were married 43 years, so I have watched a long marriage. I feel like I had a very good role model for that. And, you know, it's just a number"
About this Quote
The phrase “role model” matters because it shifts marriage from romantic destiny to practiced behavior. She’s not selling soulmate mythology; she’s describing a template. That’s a pragmatic, almost workmanlike view of partnership, which lands because Curtis has long carried a public persona of competence and candor. She’s saying: I don’t just believe in it, I’ve had it demonstrated.
Then she punctures the sanctity: “it’s just a number.” That line does two things at once. It resists the performative scoreboard of relationship milestones (the anniversary-industrial complex, the social-media trophy case), while also guarding against the superstition that time equals quality. She’s not denying that 43 years is impressive; she’s refusing to let duration become the entire story.
The subtext is generational and cultural. In a moment where marriage can feel either outdated or impossible, Curtis offers a third lane: respect the example, don’t fetishize the statistic. Longevity is meaningful, but it’s not a personality.
Quote Details
| Topic | Marriage |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Curtis, Jamie Lee. (2026, January 15). My mother and stepfather were married 43 years, so I have watched a long marriage. I feel like I had a very good role model for that. And, you know, it's just a number. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-and-stepfather-were-married-43-years-so-156321/
Chicago Style
Curtis, Jamie Lee. "My mother and stepfather were married 43 years, so I have watched a long marriage. I feel like I had a very good role model for that. And, you know, it's just a number." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-and-stepfather-were-married-43-years-so-156321/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My mother and stepfather were married 43 years, so I have watched a long marriage. I feel like I had a very good role model for that. And, you know, it's just a number." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-and-stepfather-were-married-43-years-so-156321/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.



