What Does Marriage Mean To Me?

**I am SO high in this picture! Isn't that SO funny!! You can totally tell! It looks like my husband is hugging me for the camera pose, but he is actually holding me up!! I am laughing so hard right now! I will include it in a Memory Monday soon.***
I must say I was surprised by this prompt in the Writers Workshop.
It could be a different question to many different people depending on where they are in their marriage, if they have just gone through divorce, or perhaps been wanting to be married, but haven't found the right one, or like me have been married for 10 years, there is a wide spectrum of different opinions. So I will shout out a few, but apologize for my lack of marital wisdom and ignorance.

What does marriage mean to me?
1.It means you have to know how to sincerely say 'I am sorry. I was wrong'. When you wanna say, 'Whatever! Just Deal With It!'

2.It means you have to hold your tongue and be respectful. Does that mean take each others crap? No. It simply means that the one you usually want to lash out at is the one that you should never speak to that way.

3.It means to forgive, like everyday. Jeremy likes to take off his socks, ball them up one at a time-Not together, mind you-and throw them at the kids in a bantering manner. This ticks me off! Who do you think is going to have to pick up dirty socks-Not together, mind you, but one at a time!!-and help them find the washing machine or hamper? Finally one day he mentions that he has no clean socks. I gleefully report that I was on a sock strike and that his dirty clothes hamper is clean, so if there were socks in the hamper, they would have been washed. Aaaahhh! Vindication! It was a nice cold day for him to sport flip flops or wear dirty socks to work.

4.Marriage means there should be sympathy on both parts. My husband is really good at letting me sleep in if I need to, letting me get away, or helping me feel better when I am sick. He is exceptionally good at helping with meals and the kids. When its his turn to be sick, tired, or in pain? I throw a box of Kleenex at his head while telling him to 'Get Over It! Crybaby!' Aren't I such a catch??

5.Marriage is curbing your sarcasm. Oh my gosh! I seriously just stubbed like three fingers on the keyboard when I typed that in!!! It also means you have to...aaahh...you have to...uh...OH! This one is HARD!! You have to R E L E A S E C O N T R O L Holy Crap I said it! Breathe Big Mama!! Breeeeaaathe!!

6.It means while dating look at them with both eyes, while married close one permanently! One of the LDS Prophets or leaders stated that and I wish I knew who it was...

7.It means always trying to improve and not be comfortable in your marriage. Why is it that some people get married to keep the person they are with. Suddenly they stop trying to 'woo' and impress each other. In my opinion (see disclaimer for opinion rules), with the divorce rate well over 50% shouldn't we try harder to show each other that we will love and respect each other better than anyone else would?

8.Marriage also means to give your children a strong sense of stability. When my parents got divorced I threatened them with their lives telling them that they had better at least be able to be in the same room with each other because I was not going to have to walk on egg shells at family events when they were both there. Otherwise I would write them off forever. They knew I was serious. Thankfully they were determined to be friends and we can all still be a happy dysfunctional family.

9.Quality Time. I have a very slim, glim, wee reminder of what that is but, I think its important...?

10.I have to always remind myself, 'Would I want to be married to me?' My answer, Heck No! Then I elaborate and proceed accordingly.

You have to make your own rules. These rules work for me and my husband, but won't work for anyone else probably. Do you have some other rules that I missed, please! My husband will tell you(actually he won't) that I need all the marriage advice I gould get! So DO TELL! These tips kept us going the first 10 years, will in make it another?? Who Knows! But I hope so!