Marriage is hard. There I said it.
Forget the movies of all happy moments, cheery smiles, and love music. Sure there are bits of that, most would agree. But there are also times of no talking, uncertainty, hurt feelings, and distrust. Why?
Because, marriage is a continuous learning curve! If it’s not, hmm, seems boring.
Sure, we might argue over who loaded the dishwasher wrong. Or why one didn’t follow me the loosely knit, not written in stone, parenting agreement. Or perhaps, why did you do that? I cannot believe you said this.
If we didn’t have these moments, how would we continue to go as a couple? How could we learn more deeply about each other? How would I discover more reasons why I love him?
Is it hard? Hell yeah! Is it stressful? Of course! Then why?!?!
Simply put, because without this marriage and hurdles, I wouldn’t have grown into the person I am today. Those rough patches, the stress, the tears, are what bring us closer and help us dig deeper. Together.
Remember that the next time you see someone on social media talking about Mr Fabulous or amazing Mrs Perfect or kissy kissy face blah blah blah.
That’s not reality, that’s a false faced love bug. Don’t get envious, don’t follow. Stay your course. Because real love is the arguing over who left the van windows open when rain was forecast, wondering why you let the kids eat stew for breakfast, or whose fault it was that one missed an appointment. And if you throw kids into the mix. A new set of marriage pressures, responsibilities, and a new kind of love to share.
It’s how you get through these moments, that’s where the love is. The real heart of marriage.
Dig your heels in and hold on, that is marriage.
smalltownjules 
Oh, my, Julie, you have hit the nail on the head.
The “false face love bug” is annoying.
It is hard work and that work changes as the years go by.
Peter and I will be celebrating our 50th in August and, believe me, it is work.
We are not the kids that walked down the aisle 50 years ago. We have both changed and grown; not always in the same direction but we somehow found ourselves back in that aisle, thankfully.
We try to walk arm in arm and hopefully don’t punch each other in the face too often. hehe
❤️
Right on Julie. Chic