Lesson #31: Getting mad happens, staying mad isn't worth it

Sometimes people get under your skin.  It happens when you feel like you can't take them anymore, and you're seconds away from blowing up.  Unfortunately, this isn't something that goes away with marriage.  No matter how hard you try, there are going to be times when you're seconds away from blowing up at the one you love the most.


There have been plenty of times when I've gotten upset with Lyndon.  I consider myself almost an expert when it comes to keeping my cool around others, but my wonderful husband brings that out of me.  I don't know, it must be a talent he wishes he didn't have.


We were budgeting for the marvelous month of March (something I highly recommend to everyone), and there were money transfer things I wasn't understanding.  Lyndon was trying to explain what he wanted to do, and nothing was clicking in my brain.  It doesn't help that when he tries to stay calm while explaining, he puts his hand on my shoulder or on my knee, attempting to be comforting or something.  Thing is, that's the last thing I want him to do; I already feel like he's talking down to me (even though he's not).  I ended up understanding what he meant, but I was still mad at him.


I continued to be angry with him for a while, but then I realized how silly it was.  I was holding on to something that I just needed to let go of.  It would have been easy to hold on to that anger, but what a ridiculous thing to hold on to.  Forgetting it was exactly what I needed to do, and we were laughing at each other by the end of our "budget meeting."

Lesson #30: Guys and their romance incompatibility

We've been caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to romance lately.  The month of February and all of the hearts and cupids everywhere threw me into sort of a romance tizzy.  We're still trying to figure things out, but I thought I'd take this chance to let the boys in on some things.


Gentlemen: Your wife truly appreciates everything you do for her through working hard at your job and bringin' home the bacon.  Unfortunately, she needs more than that.  Yes, we are that needy.  Understand that although you might not be a romantic yourself, there is some part (big or small) of your wife that craves romance.  Because the love a husband and a wife share is supposed to be an unselfish love, do something romantic.  Do anything romantic.  She doesn't need 12 million roses filling the house; she just needs something every once in a while.


Has she been asking to go ice skating for the past three winters?  Then sew a sequined leotard and get on that ice!  Does she always suggest going out for ice cream?  Actually agree with her and hop in the car.  Do you know she's having a stressful day and can't seem to even make it through preparing dinner?  Walk into that kitchen, grab the chicken, and cook it for her (Lyndon did that yesterday...twas wonderful).  Is she feeling a little under the weather?  Make her lunch and watch an episode of Lost (we did that today).  It doesn't take much, but a romantic gesture of some kind will go a long way.


Maybe you were romantic while you were dating because you had woo her.  Now you don't think you have to be romantic because you're married.  Don't romance her to win her heart; you have it.  Romance your wife because she's your wife.  You might not be a Fabio, and that's okay.  She didn't marry Fabio; she married you.