Opposites Attract

My husband and I don't work on paper. No one would look at our likes and dislikes and think this marriage is feasible. I give you the following examples:

He's a hard-core Republican; I'm a mostly-Democrat, sometimes-Republican, sometimes-neither. Or in his words, wishy-washy. I don't know how this happened. This is twice I've married a Republican. I've learned that talking about politics is a HUGE no-no! And hubby really does know much, much more than I do about such things, so I usually just keep my mouth shut and then vote my heart.

He's mountains; I'm the beach. (I said "beach" people! B-E-A-C-H! Not the other word!) While I love the mountains, it's not where I would want to spend day after day after day. A few days of the views and the quiet are enough for me. The beach, however...I could like FOREVAH on the beach! But, unfortunately, hubby feels the same about the beach that I do the mountains. If we could find a place in the mountains near the beach...!!

He loves hot sausage; I like it mild. Ok, maybe that's a bad example.

He's messy; I'm neat. Here's a note of advice to young people thinking of marrying - if you are dating someone who is the opposite of you in regards to neatness, make sure you can handle it. Just as you will not change, neither will they. For the most part, I can handle it, but there are times where I lose my cool! Then I just clean up the mess myself, which I should have just done to begin with.

He's more reckless; I'm cautionary. As with most dads, he's the "fun parent." That's because he is able to let the kid do more and try more on her own. He worries less. He likes to drive fast, fly planes, ride horses, and climb on motorcycles. I like to read.

He likes hard news; I like fluff. Oh, I listen to the news, too, but I watch once and I'm done. Hubby could watch news channels all. day. long. I love celebrity news, fashion, and cartoons. What can I say?

So, you see what I mean? On paper, we suck. But here's the thing - WE WORK!!! We do it! We have an awesome marriage! How? Like this:

We respect each other and each other's opinions. Period.

We laugh often, especially at ourselves. There's nothing this family loves more than a hardy laugh. The more sarcastic, the better. Our sense of humor is definitely in sync.

We work well together. We've learned that, when completing projects, only one person can be in charge. The other person is there to simply help and do what he or she is told. We know what our individual strengths are, and we take the lead in those situations.

We are still attracted to each other. Heaven knows we've both changed physically in the last 13 years. But hubby tells me all the time that he only sees the girl he fell in love with. And I still see my knight in shining armor. We still would rather be with each other than anyone else.

Marriage is hard work. It's not happily ever after. It's struggling, and fighting, and working your way together to a common ground. It's a roller coaster ride that never stops at the station. But is it worth it? You bet it is!

No matter how our marriage looks, on paper or in real life, I can still say with all sincerity and honesty - I have the best husband in the world for me. I love you, baby.