Last One Up Makes the Bed

We have a good marriage. We live by some simple rules.

Some are standard:

Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t go to bed without minimum of three kisses. (and the kisses are better if you don’t put night time lip balm on first).

I do the laundry. He takes care of house maintenance items like HVAC filters, smoke detectors, anything that goes “bump” or leaks or shorts out or produces smoke, smells or scratches in the walls. Fortunately, those have been limited over our 27 years.

I don’t mind the routine things like grocery lists and laundry folding. I love it that the unexpected things usually don’t belong to me --- like the snake on the back porch or the gecko in the kitchen, or the dryer isn’t heating, or that sink is stopped up. He’s handy.

He takes care of the emergencies. He operates better with items that aren’t the norm. He’s creative. He kinda lives that way. Sometimes it’s messier than me, sometimes it’s unpredictable. Sometimes it’s not how I would do it. But it’s much more fun.

But it’s still odd to me that when he makes the bed, the pillows line up symmetrically. I like them messy.

I squeeze the toothpaste in the middle -- He "fixes" the tube back and flattens out the bottom.

That's what marriage is --- appreciating the differences, minimizing any annoyances, compromise at whatever level is needed for peace.

Keep the small stuff small. Love is patient, kind. It's easy going and it gives room for being human. I am so glad he gives me room to be extremely human.

Last one out of the bed, makes the bed.

First one out of bed usually makes the coffee.