Longterm Marriage

 When my wife and I married we dreamed of romance, fairy tale love and living happily ever after.

And we enjoyed that for a while, as newlyweds, until the realities of married life set in.

We were young, finishing school and trying to make enough money to survive. Life was busy and stressful. And sometimes we clashed.

But we loved each other and had committed to stick it out for better or worse. So when things got worse we worked on making them better until they did. And we were happy again.

We built our life together and then came our kids. That brought whole new stresses. Sleepless nights, endless doctor visits, clothes, school. Trying to fit their busy lives into our already busy ones.

Sometimes things got strained and we clashed.

But deep down we loved each other and had committed to stay together for better or worse. So when things got worse we worked on making them better until they did. And we were happy again.

Eventually, the kids left home. We became empty-nesters. We though it would be just like it was when we started out. Except it wasn’t. We weren’t two starry eyed young lovers anymore. We’d both grown up and in many ways changed.

We’d lived our lives and communicated so much through and with our children that for a while it was like we were strangers. We were both different people. And sometimes we weren’t sure if we were thrilled living with this new person.

Frankly, that initial empty-nest period was the toughest of our marriage. And for the first time I understood how people after 20 or 30 years of marriage get divorced. It’s like we were strangers living in the same house.

Yet, we deep down we loved each other and had committed so many years before that we would stay together through better or worse. So we worked on making our relationship better.

We talked. And sometimes we didn’t.

We argued. And sometimes we just wanted peace.

We cried. And sometimes we laughed.

We eventually navigated our way back to better and discovered happiness again.

Long term marriage is an arduous journey for most couples. It is always changing because you are always changing and life is always changing.

It’s filled with failures and victories. Joy and sorrow. Times of feeling in love and times of feeling, well, not so much.

But when it works it’s the greatest way to live.

I’m glad that we made that commitment to each other and God so many years ago.

And that when times got worse we always worked to make them better.

Because they always did. And we always found happiness again.

Moral -You only make marriage best if you work on it when it’s worst.

Sukarma Thareja 

✍️ Sukarma Thareja
I write to make Science easy through Poetry & Photos 📸📖

🌐 Website: https://sites.google.com/site/drsukarmaranithareja/home
📝 Blog: https://sukarmathareja.blogspot.com/?ncr=1

📚 My Books:
🇮🇳 Hindi: Kishor Chetna
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B077H5MBSW

🇺🇸 English 1: Making Science Easy - Photo Poetry
https://share.google/Iq6osO6YeHCYvfXYj

🇺🇸 English 2: Science of Life and Nature - Photo Poetry 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521260060

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