A couple sat on a bench beside a canal

A pair of majestic swans glided down the slow moving water

Heads held high and proud as they glanced around

Pausing occasionally to plunge their heads under water

Casually grazing on the vegetation of the canal bed

They swam in unison and were never far apart

Frequently rubbing their heads together in a loving embrace

This pair of swans will stay together for life 

When a swan dies their partner may die of a broken heart

The couple held hands on the bench and watched the swans glide by

Just like the swans they were obviously in love and committed to each other

The average marriage in the US lasts only eight years

But this couple tried hard to make it work

Returning to the same bench every year on their wedding anniversary

Watching the same pair of swans glide by 

Many years later the now middle aged couple sat on the bench

The same pair of elderly swans glided by and paused to greet them

Each couple had raised offspring that had left the nest

But they were still together and enjoying another day at the canal

The moral of this story is simple

If you want a guaranteed lifelong relationship then marry a swan