A couple weeks ago, I went to see the movie Julie and Julia. I was less than enchanted with the storyline about the woman cooking through the cookbook (although it did inspire me to create a blog with some theme and, you know, get a book deal and make millions...but that is less-than-likely to happen), but I was very taken by the marriage between Julia Child and her husband, Paul. Aside from being an adorable couple (which I attribute in part to their real-life partnership and in part to the magic of Hollywood and amazing actors), they were just so functional together, which was quite nice to see. No doom and gloom and discord for them. Thank you for the change of pace, Hollywood.
Now, I've always been very pragmatic about marriage, even before I was a married woman myself. I have never been under the illusion that marriage is a cakewalk or that there won't be tough times. I subscribe to the philosophy that marriage involves a choice every day; that you wake up every morning and recommit to your spouse, regardless of the feelings or happiness or frustrations that are a part of the current nuptial milieu. I admit to stealing this philosophy from the movie "Keeping the Faith," but it seems sound advice. I think that recognizing this as a philosophy BEFORE I got married allowed me the chance to really commit to the decision I was making the day I got married. It wasn't a whim, it wasn't all romance and hearts a-flutter, it was me committing to choose marriage each day of my life. I know it sounds ridiculously pragmatic and void of emotion, but this frame of mind is, for me, a solid underpinning for a strong marriage.
The beauty of my marriage thus far is that, along with this boring and practical undercurrent, married life has been fun! I genuinely enjoy being around Andy. We have fun, we laugh, we joke, we understand each others humor. We like to do the same things (well, some of the same things), and those things that we don't share as hobbies, we're tolerant of when the other partakes. In the movie, Julia and Paul seemed to similarly enjoy each other, even after several years of marriage, which was just so darn pleasant to see. I hope that as I grow older, and come into my own (in that hopeful, morphing and growing as one ages kind of way), Andy and I continue to enjoy one another, and have fun together. If we don't always, I'll continue to choose marriage, but I think that we'll be far happier if we're able to maintain the humorous and enjoyable connection we have now in our relative youth.
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