My husband and I are working our way toward 5 years of marriage. In October we will celebrate our 5th anniversary, which is wood. Which makes it seem so much less exciting. I’m sure Eric is reading this and noting all of the inappropriate wood jokes he will be texting me on our anniversary.
My husband and I have a pretty good relationship. Is it perfect? Definitely not. I have lots of areas to work on and he is constantly trying to be more helpful and do more for Calli and I. After watching our parents for years, we both realize a marriage is constantly work. It is a union of two imperfect people, trying to be perfect. Which means it takes lots of work. All of the work has been totally worth it. I have an amazing, kind, supportive partner in life. Every day I am thankful I have him in my life.
So often, life becomes about the ring. Women dream about a ring. They pick out what they like. They tell their friends about it. It’s so easy to become obsessed with it. I’m not going to lie, I was. My ring is beautiful and gorgeous and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My husband picked it out for me, that makes it one of my most treasured possessions.
It’s said the ring is a symbol of your marriage. It is, but I don’t think it’s a very accurate representation of a normal marriage. The ring is always pretty and shiny. Let’s be honest, a marriage isn’t always pretty and shiny. Sometimes it is dirty. Sometimes it looks a lot like hard work. If your ring gets dirty, you clean it up and it looks like new. If your ring breaks, you take it in to get fixed and it’s like new.
When you make mistakes or you and your spouse get in a funk, you can pull yourself out of it. But it changes your relationship. I have found those changes are good. They make you stronger. Those hills and mountains the two of you climb together may leave bumps and bruises, but in the end it make the two of you a stronger team. I don’t like those times, but I am thankful for them.
I decided to get my ring finger tattoo since I wasn’t going to wear my beautiful ring out in the barn. Jewelry is one of the easiest ways to cause an accident and frankly, I value my fingers too much. As a replacement I got my tattoo for the day to day. 5 years later, I love this tattoo. The fingers are a part of the body where your skin is regenerating the fastest. Since we are constantly using our hands for things, tattoos tend to fade on your fingers fast. But you know what? This tattoo is a visual representation of our marriage. It shows wear and tear. Yet there it is. It is strong and right there for me to look at and see every day.
As much as I love my ring. My tattoo is what a marriage really looks like and I love it for that. It is a reminder of what we have made it through and how strong we are. Appreciate where you started and how far you have come. But don’t forget all of the work is worth it. What advice would you give a couple getting married?
I feel the same way about my wedding band. In the first few months I’d take it off to keep it from getting scratched and dented. But over the years I’ve realized that those represent the lasting durability and dynamics of our marriage. Great post!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks this.