On the Flip Side

"I think marriage is a great institution....but who wants to live in an institution?"

I read this quote recently in a magazine. It made me laugh, so I read it to my husband, which made him laugh. It was a good, laughy moment.

Ironically, that was about two weeks ago and little did we know it, but we were on the verge of one of those weeks. You know what I'm talking about you married folk. One of those weeks where one of you feels stretched too thin, the other one has no clue, things pile up and pile up and pile up until suddenly.....the bottom falls out.

I'm better a faking it. If my hubs and I are in one of those 'bottom fallin' out periods, I can smile, function normally, go to work....it all gets buried deep inside and comes out in the form of a stress pimple here (or there). A tummy ache. Tense shoulders. My hubs, on the other hand, looks like an absolute stress case. He doesn't handle it well, at all. Walking around, head hung low, a confused look on his face.....the epitome of 'wearing your heart on your sleeve'.

Thankfully, when our 'bottom falls out', it usually leads to some sort of realization - on both sides. And we both have this unofficial, but official, policy - absolutely no quitting, no "d" word, no thoughts of the sort whatsoever. No way. We also both know deeply that no one else in the world would think that my wearing fleece to sleep in 90 degree weather is 'cute', nor would anyone else love his ability to quote every movie line in a handful of popular movies while somehow making them apply to the current real life situation. He does this. Alot. And I find it quite amusing.... ; )

So. I guess this post has less to do with the bad stuff, than it does with the good stuff. The good stuff is that once we get our 'bottoms' back on, we've grown a bit. Learned one more thing to add to our marriage tool box. Little gems that are so valuable you actually have to learn the hard way to obtain them.

I know marriage isn't easy. Jobs, children, you name it. They are blessings that can sometimes bring out the horns in us all. I'm thankful to have a man who will go to God to seek counsel and wisdom. I'm thankful that God is at the top of our marriage food chain.

To any almost married, newly married or married for a while couple out there, I heard through a friend who had just went to a marriage seminar that what you need most from your husband or wife is not for them to hear you more, or spend more time with you, or help out more.....you need him or her to abide in Christ more. That and that alone will. save. marriages.