Dianne Bright's Blog - Posts Tagged "marriage"
My Tarnished Ring
Parenting Tip: Don’t give up on your marriage, even when it’s tough.
I love my silver anniversary ring with a cross carved out of the middle of it. It is particularly special to me because of the inscription on the inside, which states my name, my husband's name, and ten years, celebrating our marriage commitment. After a past summer's idyllic retreat to Newport, I noticed my ring had taken some beatings.
Multiple jaunts to the Jacuzzi had taken their toll and my beloved ring had tarnished. Once we returned home from our vacation, I decided to store it away in a special jewelry box.
Months went by, and though I’d intended to call the company to get a replacement or a special cloth to soften the imperfections, I did not. I just wore other rings instead. But eventually I started to miss this one on my left middle finger.
So I picked up my tattered ring and decided to wear it, defects and all. It looked a little bit silly next to my platinum wedding band and my diamond. But I decided to wear it anyway.
The most amazing thing happened. From life's daily routine as a mom and wife, my ring perked up. Life's daily tasks took care of the blemishes on my tattered ring. It seems that the routine of doing dishes, washing laundry, sweeping, gardening, etc., had polished the ring right back to its previously shiny state. I was surprised to see that the black tarnished material had completely disappeared.
Marriage is like my ring. Sometimes without even knowing it, we put our marriage in danger. We distance ourselves to avoid stupid arguments or we go too many months without connecting, and before we know it, our hearts become tarnished.
We're surprised by the change, and we feel the heaviness of the black stain hanging over us. But there is hope. Marriages, just like my ring, are made of good stuff. They too can make a comeback—but you can’t give up. You have to stick with it even when it feels like a replacement would be the easiest solution.
I'm so glad I kept my old ring, in lieu of exchanging it for a newer and shinier one. It would have been easy to do, because the company backs their products with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy. But it was refreshing to see that as I have stuck with my ring, I have also pressed on in my marriage over the past eighteen years.
Sometimes, we have felt like giving up as our wills have collided and our rough edges have battled. Our differences have evidenced themselves over parenting styles, budgeting issues, and career goals. But over time, our struggles have actually strengthened us. Where I’m weak, he’s strong and vice versa. Plus, he's an amazing kisser, and he gives really good foot rubs.
*This excerpt is from MOMMY'S HIDING IN THE TREEHOUSE. Author Dianne Bright wrote for 2 years for Scholastic's Parent & Child magazine and blog before delving into fiction. Her first novel, SOUL READER, came out in April, 2015.
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
I love my silver anniversary ring with a cross carved out of the middle of it. It is particularly special to me because of the inscription on the inside, which states my name, my husband's name, and ten years, celebrating our marriage commitment. After a past summer's idyllic retreat to Newport, I noticed my ring had taken some beatings.
Multiple jaunts to the Jacuzzi had taken their toll and my beloved ring had tarnished. Once we returned home from our vacation, I decided to store it away in a special jewelry box.
Months went by, and though I’d intended to call the company to get a replacement or a special cloth to soften the imperfections, I did not. I just wore other rings instead. But eventually I started to miss this one on my left middle finger.
So I picked up my tattered ring and decided to wear it, defects and all. It looked a little bit silly next to my platinum wedding band and my diamond. But I decided to wear it anyway.
The most amazing thing happened. From life's daily routine as a mom and wife, my ring perked up. Life's daily tasks took care of the blemishes on my tattered ring. It seems that the routine of doing dishes, washing laundry, sweeping, gardening, etc., had polished the ring right back to its previously shiny state. I was surprised to see that the black tarnished material had completely disappeared.
Marriage is like my ring. Sometimes without even knowing it, we put our marriage in danger. We distance ourselves to avoid stupid arguments or we go too many months without connecting, and before we know it, our hearts become tarnished.
We're surprised by the change, and we feel the heaviness of the black stain hanging over us. But there is hope. Marriages, just like my ring, are made of good stuff. They too can make a comeback—but you can’t give up. You have to stick with it even when it feels like a replacement would be the easiest solution.
I'm so glad I kept my old ring, in lieu of exchanging it for a newer and shinier one. It would have been easy to do, because the company backs their products with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy. But it was refreshing to see that as I have stuck with my ring, I have also pressed on in my marriage over the past eighteen years.
Sometimes, we have felt like giving up as our wills have collided and our rough edges have battled. Our differences have evidenced themselves over parenting styles, budgeting issues, and career goals. But over time, our struggles have actually strengthened us. Where I’m weak, he’s strong and vice versa. Plus, he's an amazing kisser, and he gives really good foot rubs.
*This excerpt is from MOMMY'S HIDING IN THE TREEHOUSE. Author Dianne Bright wrote for 2 years for Scholastic's Parent & Child magazine and blog before delving into fiction. Her first novel, SOUL READER, came out in April, 2015.
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
There's Always Time for One More Kiss
Parenting/Marriage Tip: Never turn down a hug or kiss from a loved one.
As I raced off to my step class, already ten minutes late, my husband allowed the kids to run out to my car for one more kiss. I begrudgingly puckered up my lips as each one of my three kids excitedly craned their necks up to my window (this was back when they were little; now my son is taller than I am). My youngest could hardly reach my lips, as I giraffed my neck out to meet hers.
After driving off one minute later, I realized how silly my attitude had been. I was ashamed that I'd felt too busy to accept enthusiastic kisses from my kids. Life is way too short to postpone hugs or kisses from anyone important to us. There's always time for one more kiss.
If your spouse wants to snuggle for ten more minutes, the other stuff can wait. If your kids want to kick the soccer ball out in the backyard for five more minutes, it's worth holding off on dinner for a little while. Even if your dog just wants to extend playing fetch in the morning before you head off to work, try to indulge her with the meaningful attention.
Love. Family. Laughter. These are the things we need to invest in—and what better way than through a hug or a kiss? They sort of just happen during serendipitous moments throughout the day. So if we don't slow down long enough to capture them, they disappear like time itself.
Some moments are priceless. When a butterfly floats by and we're too focused on the red light in front of us, we miss seeing the miracle that the caterpillar underwent. Or if we can’t make time for five-second kisses and one-minute hugs, especially with plump and expressive two-year-old lips, we miss out. The moment is gone!
As moms, we juggle so much that it's impossible to embrace every single special moment. Otherwise, tons of stuff wouldn't get done.
However, it's important to make time for one more kiss or one more special hug because someday, we may not get as many unsolicited offers. Let’s capture them now, so we can store them up in our treasure trove of memories.
*This essay is from Bright's book of parenting essays: Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse (With a Glass of Merlot). She wrote for Scholastic for 2 years and published her first novel, SOUL READER, in 2015. She recently finished writing her second novel, BLOOD TOWERS (coming soon), and enjoys reviewing James Patterson books, via his assistant, Sean.
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
As I raced off to my step class, already ten minutes late, my husband allowed the kids to run out to my car for one more kiss. I begrudgingly puckered up my lips as each one of my three kids excitedly craned their necks up to my window (this was back when they were little; now my son is taller than I am). My youngest could hardly reach my lips, as I giraffed my neck out to meet hers.
After driving off one minute later, I realized how silly my attitude had been. I was ashamed that I'd felt too busy to accept enthusiastic kisses from my kids. Life is way too short to postpone hugs or kisses from anyone important to us. There's always time for one more kiss.
If your spouse wants to snuggle for ten more minutes, the other stuff can wait. If your kids want to kick the soccer ball out in the backyard for five more minutes, it's worth holding off on dinner for a little while. Even if your dog just wants to extend playing fetch in the morning before you head off to work, try to indulge her with the meaningful attention.
Love. Family. Laughter. These are the things we need to invest in—and what better way than through a hug or a kiss? They sort of just happen during serendipitous moments throughout the day. So if we don't slow down long enough to capture them, they disappear like time itself.
Some moments are priceless. When a butterfly floats by and we're too focused on the red light in front of us, we miss seeing the miracle that the caterpillar underwent. Or if we can’t make time for five-second kisses and one-minute hugs, especially with plump and expressive two-year-old lips, we miss out. The moment is gone!
As moms, we juggle so much that it's impossible to embrace every single special moment. Otherwise, tons of stuff wouldn't get done.
However, it's important to make time for one more kiss or one more special hug because someday, we may not get as many unsolicited offers. Let’s capture them now, so we can store them up in our treasure trove of memories.
*This essay is from Bright's book of parenting essays: Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse (With a Glass of Merlot). She wrote for Scholastic for 2 years and published her first novel, SOUL READER, in 2015. She recently finished writing her second novel, BLOOD TOWERS (coming soon), and enjoys reviewing James Patterson books, via his assistant, Sean.
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
