Oh, Marriage

So, David emailed me this article from the Wall Street Journal the other day, saying that we had been quoted in it. Obviously, I was a bit skeptical since we hadn't been interviewed or anything, but then when I read the article, I understood what he meant! You can read the whole article here but I will explain.

The article is basically about how the little quirks and habits are what drive people crazy in marriage and how for couples to stay happy you must manage your expectations and learn little ways to cope with these habits. I was laughing out loud when I was reading about several of the examples they cited. My own parents story about "english muffins" in their first year of marriage is legendary! While some of the other examples resonated in our own marriage (dishwashers being next to the dishwasher but not in it!), the one that hit home the most was about squeezing toothpaste! David's parents got to witness several heated conversations about the right way to squeeze toothpaste, and they always sided with him - saying that you need to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom and not the middle (as I had always done). I can certainly laugh about this but old habits are heard to break, so when I saw the following for $1 at the Dollar Store, I decided to give it to David for Easter.

A toothpaste squeezer.

This little $1 gadget is a marriage saver! (I have also claimed the same qualities for our GPS, which has helped us navigate the metropolises of Atlanta and Houston and saved us from fighting over directions). Now I can squeeze the toothpaste wherever I want, and all David has to do is put this little gadget on and with its little crank on the right side all of the toothpaste goes to where it belongs, the top.

This is just one of the ways we have learned to ignore the little quirks and celebrate happiness together. How have you learned to cope with your significant others crazy little quirks?