Monday, September 3, 2012

True Partnership

Tomorrow is my sister and Adrian's anniversary and today, she wrote a post about it. Her post really got me thinking. You may remember I talked about my marriage a while back and also wrote about how my husband is the best roommate I've ever had. Em's post today and the time I've spent with her and Adrian this weekend got me thinking more about marriage.

When I think about marriage, I always think about partnerships and both people bringing something to the table. I think my sister and I are really lucky to have found partners that balance us out. They stand behind us while we continue to grow. LoLo has been really supportive of my new-found hobby. He's encouraged me to continue writing and to grow my little blog. He was also a huge support for me when I was unemployed. He said all along something great was coming, and it did. I think this is the secret: having balance in the relationship and understanding each others' roles.


The same can be said for Em and Adrian. Saturday night when we were having a cake for my sister's birthday, Adrian cut each piece very carefully and placed it standing up on the plate so that she could take a picture for her blog. Then, he made a cute little backdrop for the picture. It was a perfect little example of their partnership.

On their wedding day
As we get older, I realize more and more how much I have learned from my parents' partnership and how much I respect it. My parents both have their individual weaknesses, but they balance each other out perfectly. P-Dids can be a little selectively social (only social with people he knows very well), but my mother pushes him to extend beyond his comfort zone. This year, he went to his 40th high school reunion, even though he has only kept in touch with maybe 2 or 3 of his 500 classmates. None of us expected him to do that. In their partnership, my dad would do anything for my mom. I remember one time when all of us kids had moved out of their house and my dad was working a job in Vermont. There was supposed to be a huge snowstorm so my dad finished his job a day early and raced back to Maine to make sure he was in the house by the time the storm hit. He told me he just didn't want my mom to have to deal with it alone. They have been married for 33 years.

Aren't they cute?
 My aunts and uncles, my cousins, and both sets of grandparents have all shown me what true partnerships look like. I feel lucky that I have had so many amazing examples of good marriages. I only hope that LoLo and I can continue to balance each other out as we get older the same way my parents have.

6 comments:

Lacey in the City said...

You guys are all great examples of solid partnerships. I hope to one day experience the same sense of partnership!

Katie Price said...

33 years is just amazing! You are so lucky to have had such a good example. And you are right, it's all about balance and supporting each other. We have to be each other's cheerleaders.

Sandra said...

How very blessed are you to have found a great partner! That's so beautiful to here that your parents have been together so long. That serves as a great example for you and Emily.

Dang! said...

This spoke volumes to me! I like to think that Rob and I have a partnership of sorts. He is a pure example of an introvert, while I am insanely extroverted. We understand what each needs and we give with no pressure --we collaborate! I love the pic of your sister and her husband on their wedding day! Very cute!

Rachel said...

That's so awesome that both of your husbands support your blogs! Mine does too--I'm very blessed. He even helps me brainstorm or suggests ideas of stuff I ought to write about.
And it's so sweet that you have good examples of people who have been married a lot longer to look up to!

Renee Arianna said...

The part about your dad and the storm made me tear up! I hope that one day I find someone who doesn't want me to have to deal with the broad spectrum 'it' alone either. So sweet.