You get engaged and tell the world that you will soon get married. Everyone is happy for you and wants to know all about your wedding plans. A few will tell you that the first year of marriage is “hard.” You, being the dreamer you are, think those people don’t know what they are talking about. After-all, this person is not just your fiancé, he is your best friend! You aren’t going to run into the “hard” first year like most people. It will be all roses and rainbows for your love story…
Once the stress of the wedding is finally done, and you begin to settle into your new life, you begin to look around and think “aren’t I supposed to feel different? Am I supposed to feel like an adult now?” Your best friend is starting to sort of annoy you. He leaves his clothes on the floor of the living room and his wet towels in the floor of the bathroom. He doesn’t close cabinet doors when he is done getting something out. He complains that your hair is everywhere- on the bed, on the bathroom floor, on the counters… He complains that you wash your hair in the kitchen sink. He complains that you get low-fat groceries and don’t ever buy snacks.
Then there is the cooking- every good wife should know how to cook right? You assume that cooking is something that comes to you naturally once you have gotten married and magically morphed into an adult. You stand at the stove and wait for divine intervention. It doesn’t come. You all the sudden wonder if you missed some sort of wife class in high school/college because you have no idea where to begin. You set off the smoke alarm a billion times and throw away more food than is eaten in your attempts to get acquainted with this wifely duty.
Money… oh money…. You have had your own checking account since you were 12. You don’t answer to anyone when it comes to how you spend your money- after all, you have a job. You have had a job since the dawn of freaking time and you like it that way. You like having your own money to do with as you would like. You go to the store now, in this newly married bliss, and spend $20 on things you need. Meanwhile, your husband is at a different store, in his newly married bliss, spending $20 on things he needs. You both get home, look at the account and wonder how the heck $40 has just been spent instead of the $20. You get mad at each other for spending the same $20 that you just spent. You could afford to spend $20, but you couldn’t afford to spend $40. It is your husband’s fault. He says it is your fault.
You have now been married for 6 months- and if one more person asks you how married life is treating you, you might beat them with the sharp ends of your wedding ring…
Fast-forward 5 years later- you are still together. You are best friends again. You talk on the phone 5 times a day because you just can’t wait until that evening to tell each other things. He says “I love you” all five times you get off the phone. You talk about money, often. He still leaves his clothes in the living room floor, your hair is still everywhere, and you still occasionally set off the smoke alarm. You are content. You are happier every day that passes. THIS is your newlywed phase- that first year was just practice, and we came through with flying colors. THIS is our reward for that. Spending every day together, loving each other and our children. I would do it all again a thousand times.
I love you honey! Happy 5th Anniversary!
Once the stress of the wedding is finally done, and you begin to settle into your new life, you begin to look around and think “aren’t I supposed to feel different? Am I supposed to feel like an adult now?” Your best friend is starting to sort of annoy you. He leaves his clothes on the floor of the living room and his wet towels in the floor of the bathroom. He doesn’t close cabinet doors when he is done getting something out. He complains that your hair is everywhere- on the bed, on the bathroom floor, on the counters… He complains that you wash your hair in the kitchen sink. He complains that you get low-fat groceries and don’t ever buy snacks.
Then there is the cooking- every good wife should know how to cook right? You assume that cooking is something that comes to you naturally once you have gotten married and magically morphed into an adult. You stand at the stove and wait for divine intervention. It doesn’t come. You all the sudden wonder if you missed some sort of wife class in high school/college because you have no idea where to begin. You set off the smoke alarm a billion times and throw away more food than is eaten in your attempts to get acquainted with this wifely duty.
Money… oh money…. You have had your own checking account since you were 12. You don’t answer to anyone when it comes to how you spend your money- after all, you have a job. You have had a job since the dawn of freaking time and you like it that way. You like having your own money to do with as you would like. You go to the store now, in this newly married bliss, and spend $20 on things you need. Meanwhile, your husband is at a different store, in his newly married bliss, spending $20 on things he needs. You both get home, look at the account and wonder how the heck $40 has just been spent instead of the $20. You get mad at each other for spending the same $20 that you just spent. You could afford to spend $20, but you couldn’t afford to spend $40. It is your husband’s fault. He says it is your fault.
You have now been married for 6 months- and if one more person asks you how married life is treating you, you might beat them with the sharp ends of your wedding ring…
Fast-forward 5 years later- you are still together. You are best friends again. You talk on the phone 5 times a day because you just can’t wait until that evening to tell each other things. He says “I love you” all five times you get off the phone. You talk about money, often. He still leaves his clothes in the living room floor, your hair is still everywhere, and you still occasionally set off the smoke alarm. You are content. You are happier every day that passes. THIS is your newlywed phase- that first year was just practice, and we came through with flying colors. THIS is our reward for that. Spending every day together, loving each other and our children. I would do it all again a thousand times.
I love you honey! Happy 5th Anniversary!
