On Marriage...

Sometimes, I feel like I've been married for a hundred years, other times I feel like I'm still in my first month of marriage.    Marriage is full of apologies... for being in a funk and taking it out on each other, for burning the dinner, for turning his socks pink, for spending the last $8.73 in our bank account on chinese for lunch even when she packed yours for you, for being sorry.   Even more importantly, marriage is full of it's okay's, of me too's, of no I'M sorry's.    Marriage is a great place for a sweet husband to learn that "no, it's okay" doesn't always mean it's okay.  For example, he asks if I want the last biscuit at Cracker Barrel, I say "no, it's okay", he knows I really do want it but don't want to ask for it.  He asks if I want the rest of the gravy on mine and I say "no, it's okay" and he knows it's really ok.  He has learned to read my tone to know what I really mean.    It's also a great place for a sweet wife to learn when he asks what's wrong to tell him, confront it, and move on.  I've always been bad about the "I'm Fine" and never meaning it.  Now, I only use "I'm fine" if we are in public or with friends and I want to talk about it later.   I'm learning that marriage often looks a lot like this:     ... and that it's okay. It's a place that falling short is met with encouragement and forgiveness, growth and love, even through things that seem impossible.