Real Life Romance?

Last weekend I attended my nieces wedding. And while it was a beautiful afternoon, and the young couple was so much in love, I couldn’t help but reflect on the romantic view of wedded bliss and the real thing. ‘Cause face it, real life isn’t like we read (or write) about in the romance novels.

And no, this isn’t going to be about how much married life bites, because that is not what I mean when I say it’s different. I simply mean…it’s different.

Sure, if the book you’re reading is good, the couple will have obstacles to face and demons and hurdles to overcome before they can be together, but then we are often left with the impression that from that moment on, life is a breeze. When the real fact of the matter is, that is really when the hard work begins.

Not only was last Saturday my niece’s wedding day but it was my husband and my twenty-second wedding anniversary. (Yeah, it blows my my mind too to think I’ve been married that long!) And while my husband my still be my personal romantic hero, there are days when I get annoyed and some of his little habits  wear on my nerves (and yes, I’m quite aware this goes both ways). The point is, and advice I’d offer any new married couple, is while love and romance are wonderful, marriage is hard work.  It takes commitment, communication, and dedication. And much like anything that’s worth having, the rewards for working hard to attain it are certainly worth the cost.