Marriage-Years

mar·riage  noun \ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\

a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law

I've been thinking a good bit about marriage the last few days. We had The Boy and The Girl over for dinner last Friday. It was a quiet meal with just us four plus little sister Mary and sweet (but big and energetic) puppy Dingo. We had chicken and dumplings (for The Boy) and a fresh yummy salad (for The Girl). We sat around the table and talked for a good long while. 

They are just three short months into their marriage. I asked them what has been the hardest thing so far about living with someone and neither could really pinpoint anything. The best The Boy could come up with is that The Girl, who is normally cold-natured, turns into a little furnace at night and kicks all the covers off. :-)

I enjoyed watching their interactions, seeing how their marriage is becoming an entity of its own... something tangible and real. I had to laugh when, after seeing Matt tease Dingo, The Girl exclaimed, "Sean does that exact same thing!" It made me think about all the big and all the little things The Boy has brought into his marriage (for better or worse!) from living in the middle of ours for 24 years. Theirs will be much different, I know, but there will still be a little flavoring in it from ours.

Mine and Matt's marriage will be 25 (human-years) old next month. Our silver, can you believe it!? I think we're actually going to slip away to the beach (my favorite place in the WORLD) for a weekend, just the two of us. I can't remember the last time we went away alone. 

I don't think marriage-years are the same as human-years. You know how one dog-year is supposed to be equivalent to 7 human-years? Well, I've been thinking and I estimate that 1 marriage-year equals about 2 human-years. That would make The Boy and The Girl's marriage be about 6 months old - just starting to develop a personality.... starting to be mobile and explore the world.... maybe beginning to pull up on things and get a few minor bumps and bruises... fun for others to watch... just generally "cute." 

And it would make mine and Matt's be about 50 years old. That seems about right. Comfortable with who it is.... and who it isn't... made it through some ups and downs... but has settled down and appreciates the world it lives within... but still striving to develop and grow more fully to the edges of its boundaries... maybe even getting to the place where others look at it and say, "Can you tell us how you got this far?"

Hmmm.... Just some thoughts rattling around in my head....

Have a wonderful Tuesday, friends!