The Sea of Love

Marriage is like the ocean. When you first fall in love, it is similar to when you see the ocean for the first time. You are in awe at the sight and you can’t imagine your life without it. You visit it frequently. You build your time around it. Everything is amazing! You notice the sparkle of the sun on the waves, the beauty of the seashells and the vibrancy of the sea glass! The feel of the sand on your toes! As time goes on, you still love it, but you get wrapped up in your life and you know where it is, but you don’t give it the same attention. When was the last time you showed appreciation for it? When was the last time you spent time and energy with it? Has it become too rocky for you? Is it too overwhelming? The ocean is not always a calm and gentle place. When a storm hits, the ocean can come smashing down and cause destruction. Riding those waves can seem impossible. But the ocean itself does not break. With each wave that crashes onto the sand, the ocean takes the roughness of the rocks and glass and makes them smooth. Over time, what was once something that you avoided becomes something that you don’t want to let go. Those rough patches of your marriage are just as important as the beautiful moments. The combination of time, attention and appreciation are what makes your marriage your story. No one else’s love story is the same. Only the two of you can write each line and while some chapters are not as exciting or some you would like to skim over and forget completely…take your lessons from the ocean. Enjoy your marriage for all that it is. Remember what brought you to each other. Marriage is hard work, but it can calm you and bring you peace. It is a love you will never experience in any other way. It can be strong and resilient and there is no storm it can’t withstand. There is salt in the water and salt in our tears. But when the sun shines on it, look at it sparkle!