The Key to a Happy Marriage

Last night, as I was getting ready to go to the grocery store, I called Chris to see if he needed anything. He had a couple staples to add to the list, and as we were getting ready to hang up, he threw in, "oh yeah, get me some raw peanuts. You know, those ones that I like."


"Oh yeah. of course I know, those ones." What I know is, if I had sent my loving husband to the store with that same set of instructions, it would have been hours before I'd seen him again. He'd have been lost in the aisles for hours, randomly picking up anything that looked like peanuts, and calling me at least a half dozen times for more specific information.

"What's the name of them?", "What does the bag/box look like?", "Where are they in the store? What aisle?", "Are the on the left or right side? Top or bottom?" Oh, and heaven forbid I tell him to ask a store employee. AAACCCKK! That lands right up there with stopping to ask directions. Speaking to another human. Especially one getting paid to help you. Just can't do it. Not in his programming.

I pointed this out to him last night after his "those ones that I like" comment, and he admitted I was right. I noted that I remembered exactly which "those ones" were, where they were, and would be home with them shortly, and probably wouldn't even get a thank you as he tore into them for all my heroics.

"Well, here's your thank you in advance, then, since you're probably right about that too."

You know, Chris will laugh at the fact that I texted him our complete dinner order (with notes about condiments for each - including his, and drink reminders) after we've just hung up the phone going over the same information. He laughs that I'm that particular, and I laugh about the fact that I secretly know he'll flip open his phone to read the order when he pulls up at the drive-thru, because otherwise, I might not get my barbeque sauce. And we know how I get about my barbeque sauce. (Well, you may not, but let's just say there was a certain incident when I was pregnant regarding some barbeque sauce, and I was perhaps not the most reasonable human in the world at that time, and we'll just say that Chris rarely forgets barbeque sauce now, God bless him).

You see, that's why our marriage works so well. We know exactly what to expect out of the other and are willing to meet them there, instead of trying to get them to become our envisioned versions of them. We also know how to laugh at ourselves and each other. Really, we've got a good gig going over here.

Happy early Valentine's Day, Hon. Enjoy the peanuts!