Life is always throwing curve balls, right? Big ones, little ones. Of course the little ones seem huge if everything else is going swimmingly at the time. I'll be turning 30 this year. Sometimes, I still feel like a lost little 24 year old girl. Where did these years go? I got married at 24… and I feel like it's been just a few weeks since then.
To say that our marriage has been easy would be….. a joke. Then again, what marriage is easy? I am a pretty transparent person, so those who are close to me are aware of some of the challenges Tommy and I have faced together since we got married. Giant, divorce-worthy challenges. But here we are. Still together, still working hard to learn teamwork, patience, and lots and lots of grace. Still loving one another.
I remember someone telling us one day that once we got through those giant hoops, only then would the real work begin.
Well, the real work has begun. Oh yes. Not because we have a baby now or because we're 5 years into marriage. But, because we don't have a huge elephant in the room anymore distracting us from the every day marital issues. Oh, you know those every day issues. One person doesn't see the importance of closing the cabinet doors after opening them every single time. Another doesn't stop to close the shower curtain after stepping out of the shower every single time. One cleans up as he works in the kitchen resulting in a clean kitchen as dinner is served while the other lets dishes pile up into an overwhelming mess that is ignored until breakfast the next morning. Again, all the time.
Marriage. Learning to live and love - together. Remembering that no matter what gets in your way, what frustrations may surface, or who waves a flag of distraction, you are a team. Until death do you part.
During the hard moments when I feel like we are enemies, I have to stop and remind myself that I am his helpmate. His wife. His teammate. We are in this life together, and behaving as an enemy only delays our growth together. Then, and only then, am I often flooded with grace and a decision to either let my pride fall down, or further delay the growth.
Luckily, I married a man with what appears to be an endless supply of "I forgive you's" and "I'm sorry's." It's a good thing I married him, too, because so it seems, I don't have very many of those to give… so he compliments me perfectly. We are a match made in heaven. Despite the hoops we've jumped through and the fires we'll put out in the future, we continue to come out stronger each time. I know I've said it before, but I need to say it again. And again. And again.
Today, I am grateful for my partner in life, for the lessons he has taught me, and for the beautiful memories we've shared. I'm so glad he picked me and that I get to do this life with him. And I'm really excited about our future together. <3
(photo by my friend Sabrena!)
Isn't he such a cutie?!
Also, I'm super proud of him for taking off of his 1LT shoes today and putting on his CPT ones, instead. :) I'm so amazed by his career... he works for the man really, really well. ;)
Gratituesday is a weekly post I try to keep up with. Join us at Heavenly Homemakers by sharing your own Gratituesday post!
