“Why are you laughing?” Cliff asked, completely bewildered.
Just a minute ago, I’d to hold my anger in, pursing my lips lest the heat within me fly out and scorch the kitchen.
“You’re upset, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes!” I let out. “I specifically asked for help to prep the steamed carrots. And you didn’t! And now that I’ve rushed home, I have more work to do to cover what you promised to do but didn’t!”
If you’ve been married long enough, you’ll know these type of arguments happen more often than you’d like.
They happen over uncooked carrots, which Netflix program to watch, where to store toiletries.
We stood, busying ourselves over the stove, the air fraught with tension.
Then, a little laughter spilled out of my mouth.
“Why are you laughing?” Cliff’s eyebrows furrowed. He was completely thrown off.
“I don’t know- I was just thinking of the tempura shrimp stick you bought for me as a surprise. And I’m thinking, ‘Hm, do I want a husband who always remembers to steam the carrots or someone who loves me enough to make effort for surprises?’ I guess I want the latter! So I laughed.”
The air cracked with stitch-inducing, thigh-slapping belly laughs from us both.
“Yeah!” Cliff championed, “Thank God you got me! I use my brain space for surprises for you!”
Then it hit me— that in every marriage, life happens. The dirt and the grime of everyday living take the shine out of romance.
Yet, it is the mundane that holds the miraculous if we let it. It’s the everyday moments that we choose to see the best in our spouse that bring us from extreme irritation from repeated mistakes, to loving gratitude to see that they are frail, feeble and prone to foibles too— just like we are.
It’s painful. It hurts, even, sometimes. But a marriage is always worth holding on to.
And with that, I think we can live, laugh, cry and love another day.
Here’s to uncooked carrots— cheers. 🥂🥕