Marriage is something that must be taken seriously. It is a commitment between two consenting adults, to devote their lives to each other, so that they can share and build a life together. It is not a commitment to be taken lightly.
My wife and I met almost eight years ago, and today we share our 4 year wedding anniversary.
Our relationship was not a conventional one. We met online, and lived 4000 miles away from each other in two different countries. Luckily for us, we had modern technologies to help maintain our relationship, through plane rides and the internet.
Brooke and I also have a lot in common. We each have similar interests and we have a common goal to make the most out of ourselves in life. She has become a great photographer, and we support each other in all our endeavors.
I think it is very important that you always sit down and talk to one another, listen to each other, and make each other feel better at the end of a hard day. A long relationship like Brooke and I’s, lasts because we have both learned to bite our lips and listen to what really bothers the both of us when we are annoyed or upset. We have both watched many tv shows and movies where the couple does not talk to each other, and we have seen in our daily lives couples break up over a mountain of trivial problems condensing into to one big one. Communication is the key to a long lasting relationship.
Another problem that young couples face especially is financial problems. It is always hard starting out, whether you are single or in a relationship. Money does not grow on trees, and there are many things to pay for. As of right now Brooke and I have an agreement, that we each take out an equal amount of money each week for gas and other things that we want personally, and enough to buy groceries together. The rest goes on bills and snowballing out debt. It has been a hard couple of months, but we are starting to see our debts paid down, and our dreams of buying a house together are coming into view. Currently we rent a nice town home, and we have nice vehicles in the driveway that we pay for monthly. Whenever we want to buy anything expensive, we look at our savings and figure out a way to afford it without going into more debt, or depleting a large chunk of the savings account. We also look at what the other person wants. Recently, Brooke wanted to buy a laptop, and I wanted to buy a shotgun. We decided that she could use some of the money from her photography since she will primarily use it for business purposes, and I’ll get the shotgun this spring, when we have more money in our savings account, since I am the primary contributor to it.
Just like checks and balances in government, we have checks and balances in our lives. I am quite proud of what we have achieved in our 4 years of marriage. We have a fully loaded house with furniture, including a king sized bed. A kitchen loaded with utensils bought by the family for our wedding. We also have modern computers, gaming consoles, and we have an amazing dog named Ben. Our live is very happy, and we have a structure in place that allows for us to go on vacation each year, and an emergency fund in case we need to fix anything.
What we have took 4 years to accumulate, which includes the sacrifices we’ve made along the way, and the hard work we made to get them. Brooke and I do not go out and party every weekend, and we both work very hard at our jobs. When we get home each evening, we take turns to cook for each other, clean the dishes, and tidy the house. Often I am the one who washes the cars, while she puts the laundry away. We both keep each other in balance, and help each other out where need be. We try our best not to rely on each other, instead we help each other when one of us isn’t feeling 100% or is exhausted, or simply too busy.
Our love has grown through the will to get through all the bad times, as well as enjoy all the good times. Our relationship has become hardened by short visits in our dating years, and long times apart. Today, and all the years we have been married so far, we have been able to see each other every day, and we never go to bed without saying that ‘I love you’.
I dedicate this post to my wife. Happy 4th anniversary sweet heart, I would not be the person I am today without you.
Becoming American 