No honeymoon stage?

This past weekend I was asked if Derrick and I were still in the honeymoon stage (after five months of marriage)...

Without much hesitation I answered no. I don't think we really had much of a honeymoon stage. (as most people would define it)

You are probably feeling sorry for me. Thinking my marriage must be horrible. Praying for that we can work through this. Thinking of advice to give me to reignite the passion in our relationship.

Well, stop worrying. I love my marriage. I love my husband. And I feel so so so incredibly blessed in so many ways. Life aside from Derrick is happy...life with Derrick is so much happier.

When we went from dating to being engaged to being married the transition was smooth. It felt natural. Normal. It was weird how normal and comfortable it felt. In a good way. Sure, there were some big changes...some things we're still getting used to. Parts of each other we're still learning. And we don't have life figured out yet. But marriage - for us - wasn't some huge step. It was just right. 

Derrick and I have always had comfortable chemistry. Passionate friendship. We've always been able to talk about almost anything. Be silly together. Be flirty together. Be boring together. Be ridiculous together. And we've always been best friends. The first few months we dated, there were bird-size butterflies, interrupting fireworks, and awkward pauses. Heck, I couldn't yawn around him the first few months for fear he was paying attention. But things quickly settled back into a soft soundtrack and the whispers of laughter.

So, when I say there hasn't been an obvious honeymoon stage, I'm saying that it wasn't like we woke up married, making out all the time, couldn't keep our hands off each other, always had to be together, ignoring each others faults, in pure absolute bliss...and one day we'll wake up from this honeymoon stage and he'll realize I don't close the mustard cap and I'll realize that he never fixes the bed and we'll just want to watch television in our pajamas.

I'm saying that our life is both of those...passion and pajamas. Mixed in together. Settled. Comfortable. Romantic.  Friendship of the most wonderful kind.

We still have a lot to learn. There will be days with little passion. Days with no romance. Days of frustration. Days when we do realize something new and annoying.

But I like watching television on the couch in our pajamas. I like the simple traditions and quiet nights. I like our routine. I like the spontaneous living room slow dance or stolen kisses. I like the crazy, retarded laughter. I like that we know each other and are settled. I like that we're still learning. I'm trying to remember to close the mustard cap and be patient when the bed's not made ;) And figuring out life together - while it might not be easy at times - is such an awesome blessing.

I like my best friend. And I like going through life together - through the good and bad.

So here's to no honeymoon stage but a forever friendship with ups and downs, good and bad, laughter and tears...learning life together. 

 

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12