Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing any one who comes between them.
— Sydney Smith
Marriage is a wonderful opportunity to love someone and to be loved in return. When married you have a playmate, a confidant, a partner, a lover and hopefully a friend. Some however enter into marriage and begin to feel lost about who they are and what they have become. Recently I was talking with a man in his forties. His wife gave birth to twin boys eight weeks prior and he said that after a sleep-deprived night she looked at him and said she was so sorry for ruining their life! She then began to weep. You see, before children this couple was physically active, had thriving careers and an active social life. As one could imagine with twins in the house for the last eight weeks the socializing and recreation has come to a stop. Instead their nights are spent sleeping in shifts if sleeping at all and managing their new roles as parents.
Whether it is having children or starting back to school or entering a new career there will always be motion in your marriage. Whether you choose to bend with it or become rigid to it is up to you. Marriage is a partnership between two individuals. One partner must nurture the other and allow for the other to grow. If we stay stagnant and avoid change how do we grow? Try to celebrate your differences, support one another in your adventures and move in the same direction. Just as a pair of scissors, you may go in opposite directions from time to time but in the end you always come back together again.
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