It took many years but Emily eventually determined that she had enough with her husband’s negative drinking. She was tired of seeing Barry come home late at night from drinking instead of spending much needed time with her and the children. She was also fed up from the third DUI Barry recently got. Moreover she was fed up from making justifications for her spouse when he couldn’t make it to his job due to his problems with drinking. In a similar manner she was worried and depressed about the fact that their relationship was crumbling due to Barry’s hazardous and careless drinking. And finally she was weary from the precarious financial bind into which he had put his family due to his abusive drinking behavior. In sum, Emily felt that her mental health was deteriorating because of her husband’s drinking problems.

When Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Inspires a Person to do Something Beneficial About a Person’s Problem Drinking

One Friday morning when Emily was reflecting on what she could do about her husband’s excessive and abusive drinking, she got to the point that she honestly had to do something positive to cut into the harmful cycle of Barry’s abusive and excessive drinking behavior.

So she looked in the yellow pages under “alcohol treatment” and located many treatment clinics that were all located less than fifteen miles away from where she and her husband lived. Because she didn’t know too much about these rehab facilities, she at long last made up her mind to call some of them and ask a few questions. When she called each rehabilitation clinic she introduced herself and articulated that her husband was exhibiting careless and excessive drinking behavior. She also mentioned that Barry, her spouse, had an outstanding health insurance program at his place of employment and that outpatient or residential alcohol abuse rehabilitation would be covered if a doctor in the company health network initiated the rehab.

At one rehabilitation facility, Emily was shocked that she was able to converse directly with a healthcare practitioner who suggested that she come to the treatment center to describe her husband’s careless drinking behavior in greater detail.

Emily Talks to a Healthcare Professional About Her Husband’s Hazardous and Careless Drinking

When Emily arrived at the rehabilitation clinic, she filled out some forms and then after approximately five or ten minutes got to see a counselor. After listening to Emily discuss her husband’s abusive and hazardous drinking, the psychologist in a supportive but firm manner told Emily how she probably played a role in her spouse’s abusive and excessive drinking through the years by rationalizing his drinking instead of letting him go through the results of his abusive and excessive drinking behavior.

Emily Finds Out She Has Been Enabling Her Husband’s Abusive and Careless Drinking

Stated more precisely, the physician told Emily that she may have been inadvertently enabling Barry’s careless and hazardous drinking behavior. The healthcare practitioner also emphasized the fact that even though Emily could not control her spouse’s behavior, with the support and encouragement of the rehabilitation team at the treatment facility she would not only be able to learn how to refrain from contributing to Barry’s harmful drinking but she could also learn how to help him make an appointment at the rehabilitation center so that he could go over his careless drinking behavior with a therapist.

His Wife Exhibits a New Sense of Commitment and Concern

The good news was that after Emily discussed this with her husband, and he saw that she was serious, Barry told her that he had been quite concerned about his careless and abusive drinking behavior and that he was somewhat comforted to hear that Emily wanted to do something positive about his abusive and careless drinking behavior. As a consequence of his wife’s concern and her new sense of marital commitment, he made an appointment to see a counselor at the local alcohol rehab facility. Needless to say this enhanced Emily’s self esteem.

Barry Agrees to Meet With a Counselor About His Careless and Hazardous Drinking

While simply calling a treatment facility does not mean that an individual’s abusive and careless drinking behavior will end or that one’s warning signs of alcoholism or the alcohol abuse signs one manifests will simply fade away, scheduling an appointment is undeniably a compulsory feature in the rehab process. And since Barry was serious about getting professional assistance for his unhealthy and excessive drinking, the probability for a successful recovery was substantially augmented. Ironically, Barry’s alcohol abuse not only led to the change in his life that motivated his wife to decide against getting a divorce, but also helped his marriage become more compassionate and loving.

Do you seek information on annoying or irritating your wife? You may be able to use this information, in the future. It can work for you, in an opposite way. You may be able to avoid future errors. Learn from the mistakes of others. Here are some lessons to consider.

Pick a nice warm sunny day. Perhaps she is sitting outside on the patio. She may be using the cordless or cell phone. Now is the right moment to use your Poulan chainsaw. This will blast her back into the house. You will interrupt her serenity and phone call. This technique will annoy her. It also shows complete disregard for her feelings. You can get two annoyances for the price of one.

Here is another method for irritation. Pick a time that she is watching television. Perhaps she is taking a break from doing things around the house. The perfect time is movie time. She may be watching a DVD. It is better if it is something on her favorite female cable channel. Sit with her and watch the program for a while. You may not find this easy. However, it can pay big dividends.

It is time for the movie bashing game to begin. The rules are simple. There is only one hard part. You have to watch the movie for a few minutes, but then comes the fun. You ridicule and complain as much as you can. Poke fun at the people and the plot. Tell her how ridiculous it is.

This is a good way to insult her indirectly. You do not come out and ridicule her. However, when you ridicule things that she likes, you poke fun at her. You also make fun of her intelligence level. This can be very insulting to anyone. Is it no wonder that this works so well?

Now it is time to show disregard for her possessions. Do have some household tasks like painting to do? Make it easy on yourself and annoy her at the same time. Open your can of paint. Take her hand mixer, and use it as a paint mixer.

You will now have plenty of time to paint in quiet. You will be undisturbed. She will be at the mall, looking at hand mixers. You perform another dual task. You get a paint mixer and irritate her, with one selfish incident.

You may need some rest, after all of your hard work. You have made her life somewhat uncomfortable. You might try to apologize. This may or may not work. Try an insanity plea, instead. She might believe that. Find a black helmet. Cover it completely with aluminum foil. Wear it inside the house. She might ask you why you have it on. Tell her it is to repel the aliens. They want to steal your brain waves. This may get you 48 hours of quiet rest. You may be in a padded room, but it will still be rest.

Summary

If you seek marital harmony, do not try these stunts at home. They are dangerous and should only be performed by a qualified moron. Learn from the mistakes of others.

For the past twenty-four years Natalie has been a nurse practitioner at a small public hospital. As a registered nurse, she without a doubt knew what to tell her patients about their health issues but in her off-duty life, then again, she undeniably didn’t practice what she preached. As an example, she commonly drank quite abusively, she made it a habit to stay away from exercising, she smoked roughly two packs of cigarettes everyday, and she was approximately eighteen pounds overweight.

Natalie Gets Into A Vehicle Accident, Fails A Breathalyzer Test, and Goes to Jail

One afternoon on her way to the hospital, Natalie got into an automobile accident. Since the accident was her fault and since her speech was jumbled when she talked, the arresting highway patrolman had her take a breathalyzer test. According to standard police policy, when an individual gets involved in a traffic accident and fails to pass a breath alcohol test, the individual has to spend at least four hours in the municipal jail.

In fact, Natalie should have known better than to drive after she had been drinking because she recently participated in an “alcohol abuse awareness” class at the hospital that focused on issues, statistics, and information about alcohol facts such as the following: DUIs, alcohol poisoning, binge drinking, and the fundamental differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Natalie is Feeling Quite a Bit of Shame About Her Car Accident

Needless to say, Natalie experienced quite a bit of shame about her traffic accident. In addition she experienced quite a bit of shame about the fact that the accident was her fault. And probably worst of all, she was feeling quite a bit of shame about the fact that she was driving after she consumed a few drinks. As Natalie wondered about her circumstance, nevertheless, she grasped the fact that it could have been far worse because at the hospital, when a alcohol blood test is given and failed, the person has to go to obligatory alcohol rehabilitation and is placed on non-pay status. This was in effect one of the alcohol facts that was a reality at work and not much could change this fact.

Natalie’s Disgrace About Her Vehicle Accident Encourages Her To Go Over Her Life and Make Some Important and Beneficial Modifications

In any case, Natalie’s disgrace about her car accident made her review her life and make some relevant and positive alterations. First, she was going to stop drinking in a hazardous manner. Second, she was going to quit smoking. Third, she was going to go on a strict diet. Fourth, she was going to begin exercising. And fifth, she was going to develop more loving friendships and relationships.

As distraught as Natalie was about the entire car accident situation, she used this negative experience as a catalyst for healthy change. Furthermore, she used her agonizing experience as a real eye opener that she had been neglecting her own health while she professionally told her patients how to live in a more healthy manner. At last, she finally saw the double standard in her behavior and came to a decision that she would live her life as a positive example for the patients she saw at the hospital.

Jennifer is a thirty-year-old paralegal who has been consuming alcohol quite abusively since she and her boyfriend decided to break up. Indeed, for the past five months she has been drinking nearly one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several shots during the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and excessively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling discouraged because she was starting to let her health go downhill, Jennifer finally told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity party, that it’s time to stop the abusive drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she decided to stop drinking cold turkey.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Sick, She Vomited a Number of Times, She Started to Sweat Profusely, Her Head Was Aching, She Had Absolutely No Appetite, and She Was Extremely Moody and Nervous

When Jennifer quit drinking, she figured that she would most likely be tempted to have a drink or two, but she never assumed that she would feel so ill. More directly, about three-and-a-half hours after she quit drinking, she was extremely moody and tense, she had utterly no appetite, she vomited a number of times, she started to sweat profusely, and her head was throbbing.

When she called her best pal and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Vicki, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and go over what she was feeling.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive and Irresponsible Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Awful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her physician, informed him that she has been drinking in a hazardous and irresponsible manner for many months and that when she made an effort to completely quit drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the most unpleasant flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.

Her physician informed her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or neighbor take her to the emergency room ASAP.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a family member to drive her to the hospital. Interestingly, as sick as Jennifer was, all she could think about all the way to the hospital was whether or not she might be addicted to alcohol.

It seems that her family doctor had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two ER employees who immediately asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing two or three necessary tests, it was confirmed that Jennifer was in point of fact experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A healthcare practitioner administered some drugs to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some meds to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Healthcare Practitioner Clearly Explains That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was taken from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for roughly an hour-and-a-half, Doctor Bakos, an alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse specialist, came to see her. He took plenty of time and explained in plain words that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become alcohol dependent.

He then explained that with excessive drinking on a daily basis, the individual’s brain slowly gets acclimated to the alcohol so that it can operate in a “routine” way. When the individual then all at once stops drinking, it can be stressed, the brain reacts by producing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In addition, her physician also clearly explained the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted person typically suffers through as the disease gradually gets worse.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Gets a Good Forecast For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehabilitation She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was determined that she was in the first stage of alcohol addiction and, as a consequence, she got a favorable diagnosis for a complete recovery if she gets the alcoholism rehab she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to reclaim her life and her health. She also articulated that she has a first class hospitalization plan that will more likely than not pay for most, if not all, of the costs required for rehab. It was apparent that Jennifer was extremely happy with her encouraging prognosis and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol therapy she requires so that she can begin the path to recovery. After Jennifer talked to her healthcare professional, one thing was unmistakable: addressing her illness and wanting to follow the healthiest route was good for her self esteem and it also helped her learn how to improve upon her marriage.

Jennifer is a thirty-year-old paralegal who has been consuming alcohol quite abusively since she and her boyfriend decided to break up. Indeed, for the past five months she has been drinking nearly one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking several shots during the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and excessively that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling discouraged because she was starting to let her health go downhill, Jennifer finally told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity party, that it’s time to stop the abusive drinking, and time to make a new start with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she decided to stop drinking cold turkey.

When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Sick, She Vomited a Number of Times, She Started to Sweat Profusely, Her Head Was Aching, She Had Absolutely No Appetite, and She Was Extremely Moody and Nervous

When Jennifer quit drinking, she figured that she would most likely be tempted to have a drink or two, but she never assumed that she would feel so ill. More directly, about three-and-a-half hours after she quit drinking, she was extremely moody and tense, she had utterly no appetite, she vomited a number of times, she started to sweat profusely, and her head was throbbing.

When she called her best pal and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Vicki, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and go over what she was feeling.

She Admits to Her Healthcare Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive and Irresponsible Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Awful Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her physician, informed him that she has been drinking in a hazardous and irresponsible manner for many months and that when she made an effort to completely quit drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the most unpleasant flu-like symptoms that she had ever suffered through.

Her physician informed her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or neighbor take her to the emergency room ASAP.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a family member to drive her to the hospital. Interestingly, as sick as Jennifer was, all she could think about all the way to the hospital was whether or not she might be addicted to alcohol.

It seems that her family doctor had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room treatment team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two ER employees who immediately asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing two or three necessary tests, it was confirmed that Jennifer was in point of fact experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.

A healthcare practitioner administered some drugs to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some meds to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Healthcare Practitioner Clearly Explains That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Addiction Stages Are

After a couple of hours, Jennifer was taken from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for roughly an hour-and-a-half, Doctor Bakos, an alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse specialist, came to see her. He took plenty of time and explained in plain words that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking because she had become alcohol dependent.

He then explained that with excessive drinking on a daily basis, the individual’s brain slowly gets acclimated to the alcohol so that it can operate in a “routine” way. When the individual then all at once stops drinking, it can be stressed, the brain reacts by producing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In addition, her physician also clearly explained the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol addicted person typically suffers through as the disease gradually gets worse.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Gets a Good Forecast For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehabilitation She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was determined that she was in the first stage of alcohol addiction and, as a consequence, she got a favorable diagnosis for a complete recovery if she gets the alcoholism rehab she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare professional that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to reclaim her life and her health. She also articulated that she has a first class hospitalization plan that will more likely than not pay for most, if not all, of the costs required for rehab. It was apparent that Jennifer was extremely happy with her encouraging prognosis and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol therapy she requires so that she can begin the path to recovery. After Jennifer talked to her healthcare professional, one thing was unmistakable: addressing her illness and wanting to follow the healthiest route was good for her self esteem and it also helped her learn how to augment her intimate and loving relationship.

Is your marriage suffering? I discovered that it is possible to find contentment every day. Despite the length of your marriage you have the power to wear your marriage mindset daily.

I have a mental list of her faults that is longer than my kids Christmas list to Santa Claus. I have lost track of the times that I have complained about the same old things to her. I have destroyed days that otherwise were terrific. I never wondered if I would miss those bad habits if she was gone forever.

She constantly parks our eddie bauer convertible under a shade tree at work. I have asked her not to do that because stuff falls out of the tree and sticks to the paint job. I get steamed washing the car to protect the finish.

I have asked her a million times to hang the wet towels up in the bathroom so they will dry. Please don’t leave the toothbrush in the shower and remove the baby bath toys after this kids are bathed. When I fall over in the shower the only thing to save my head will be when it hits the wet wadded towel.

I know that she gives away useful items without telling me. She gave my home space heaters to the local senior center. She donated my workshop tv to an assisted living center. My stuff.

The day she was overdue from her daily commute I was worried. The snow was piling up, there were lots of fender benders being reported and she was not answering her cell phone. Hours went by before she arrived with news that she was trapped in a construction delay on the highway.

Her small acts of annoyance did not seem important. I made a list and turned them into positives. I was positive that I did not car where she parked as long as she made it home each day. I was certain that the number of times I was grateful she was the mother of our children outnumbered the toys in the tub. She can give away all my heaters because she provides the warmth to our shared life.

My attitude is one of gratitude that we have a friendship that caught fire years ago. I talk to her like I would a friend at work. I kiss her at least once a day. I make sure to tell her that I love her daily. I’m in love with my best friend. They have a name for that and it’s marriage.

New relationships come equipped with a devotion that is sometimes a bit out of control. You want things to be right between you at all times. She is your top priority, your all, your everything. There is nothing you would not do to please her. And you go about your days doing just that, and then one day it hits you, some regrets have taken root in your mind, and things have gotten away from you.

This is especially true if you happen to have lived a certain way for a long time, and then get married to a woman who just does not see things in the same light as you do. She expects things from you that you never saw coming. Like parting ways with things that you once held very near and dear to your heart. She simple does not have the understanding to know what this means to you.

The plan is for her to go ahead of you to the new home you bought only a few states away. She will prepare things there, while you finish things up here. Money is tight, so the idea is for you to do a few last odd jobs so you will have enough to make the move. She took everything to be kept with her, and left the things to be thrown out in boxes on the porch.

You give her a kiss goodbye and watch her drive off to your new home. You finish putting things on the truck in your driveway. The lid plops open on one of the boxes and you see, right before you eyes, your best golf instruction book, laying amidst the trash. You can hardly believe it. How could anyone mistake this gem for trash. It is the book that taught you how to golf when your first picked up a club.

It is still fresh in your mind, that you need every penny you can make, so you rationalize sacrificing the book. You make yourself believe it is for the best, and that your past may have to go in order to enjoy your future. After all, she is well worth this small sacrifice. But then, you look again, and a little further down into that box, is that old leather watch that was given to you by your Father because he was so proud of the way you pitched when your little league team won the pennant years ago.

You feel sick to your stomach. All these little parts of yourself, some not really important, but some terribly important, were about to leave for the trash heap. Now you pull out a plastic bag that is down inside the box, and you spot your old baseball glove. When you lift it from the bag, out of the thumb in the glove, falls your rhodium plated ring. It was presented to you at an honoring ceremony. They honored you for giving ten solid years of service at the local boys club working with young people in the community.

This was the ring that was given to you for your outstanding work with the local Boys’ Club. For ten years of faithful service that helped many young boys find help to stay off the streets and find purpose and meaning to their lives. It was a real accomplishment in your life. You realize that, just because you are starting a new life with her, it is a merger of two former lives, not the death of who you are. And you also realize, that if you are not careful, love can really hurt sometimes.

We all know how devoted we can be when we enter into a new relationship. We want to have our significant other love us and for things to remain peaceful and tranquil. She has now become your first priority, and everything pales next to her. You would do most anything to please her, and you spend your days doing exactly that. Until one day, you can reflect on things, and some regrets enter the picture.

This is especially true if you happen to have lived a certain way for a long time, and then get married to a woman who just does not see things in the same light as you do. She expects things from you that you never saw coming. Like parting ways with things that you once held very near and dear to your heart. She simple does not have the understanding to know what this means to you.

She is heading to your new home to get things ready, while you stay behind to clean things up and meet her there later. To have the money needed for this transition, you stay behind to do some odd jobs and haul off the trash. If you do the jobs, you will have enough to cover the move. She counted everything down to the penny.

She waves goodbye after a kiss and drives off down the road. While you load the truck, the top on a box flips open and you notice your best golf instruction book is in there. You are amazed that it ended up in the throw out box. This is the book where you learned to play golf in the first years you took up the sport. No way this could be headed for a trash dump. So you grab it out of the box, and put it in the glove box of the truck.

You need every penny, it has all been accounted for, and you have no way of backing out. You lined up some work with your neighbors, and it is enough to get what you need done. Doing the work does not bother you, but that book must be saved. You try to convince yourself that she is certainly worth it, and it is not such a big sacrifice to throw things out, but it can not hurt to keep your book. Then you pull out the leather watch that your Dad bought you for pitching the winning all star game when you played in little league. Your heart sinks again. You surely can not part with that.

You feel sick to your stomach. All these little parts of yourself, some not really important, but some terribly important, were about to leave for the trash heap. Now you pull out a plastic bag that is down inside the box, and you spot your old baseball glove. When you lift it from the bag, out of the thumb in the glove, falls your rhodium plated ring. It was presented to you at an honoring ceremony. They honored you for giving ten solid years of service at the local boys club working with young people in the community.

This was the ring that was given to you for your outstanding work with the local Boys’ Club. For ten years of faithful service that helped many young boys find help to stay off the streets and find purpose and meaning to their lives. It was a real accomplishment in your life. You realize that, just because you are starting a new life with her, it is a merger of two former lives, not the death of who you are. And you also realize, that if you are not careful, love can really hurt sometimes.

New relationships come equipped with a devotion that is sometimes a bit out of control. You want things to be right between you at all times. She is your top priority, your all, your everything. There is nothing you would not do to please her. And you go about your days doing just that, and then one day it hits you, some regrets have taken root in your mind, and things have gotten away from you.

This is especially true if you happen to have lived a certain way for a long time, and then get married to a woman who just does not see things in the same light as you do. She expects things from you that you never saw coming. Like parting ways with things that you once held very near and dear to your heart. She simple does not have the understanding to know what this means to you.

She is heading to your new home to get things ready, while you stay behind to clean things up and meet her there later. To have the money needed for this transition, you stay behind to do some odd jobs and haul off the trash. If you do the jobs, you will have enough to cover the move. She counted everything down to the penny.

The next day she kisses you goodbye. She boxed up everything to be thrown away, and says she will see you in three days to start your new life together, and she really loves you. Everything is boxed up. As you start to put the things out on the truck, you notice, there is your best golf instruction book, the one you learned to play from years ago, so dear to your heart, and now put into a box to be thrown away.

You know that every penny is needed. She counted everything and nothing can be left out in order to accomplish what you need to do to make this move. You begin to rationalize, how you just have to sacrifice when you get married, and she is well worth it. After all, these things were a part of your past, and you are now working on your future. She had no way of knowing how important that book was. Then suddenly, you spot something barely showing through a plastic bag. You look closer, and it is the torn leather watch your Father gave you for pitching such a good game when your little league team won the pennant.

You feel sick to your stomach. All these little parts of yourself, some not really important, but some terribly important, were about to leave for the trash heap. Now you pull out a plastic bag that is down inside the box, and you spot your old baseball glove. When you lift it from the bag, out of the thumb in the glove, falls your rhodium plated ring. It was presented to you at an honoring ceremony. They honored you for giving ten solid years of service at the local boys club working with young people in the community.

This was the ring that was given to you for your outstanding work with the local Boys’ Club. For ten years of faithful service that helped many young boys find help to stay off the streets and find purpose and meaning to their lives. It was a real accomplishment in your life. You realize that, just because you are starting a new life with her, it is a merger of two former lives, not the death of who you are. And you also realize, that if you are not careful, love can really hurt sometimes.

The engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the suffering. No matter how long it’s been since you said ‘I Do’ you can find ways to feel like you would do it all over again. You have to get your marriage ‘mojo’ on and wear it every day.

Make a list of everything she does that annoys you. Ask yourself how many times you have made a stupid comment about that habit. Ask yourself if the ruined mood was worth it. Would any of the things that set you off be important if you thought you were going to lose her?

She constantly parks our eddie bauer convertible under a shade tree at work. I have asked her not to do that because stuff falls out of the tree and sticks to the paint job. I get steamed washing the car to protect the finish.

I know for a fact to watch my step when enter the shower. I think our tub came with a manufacturer’s guarantee that there will be baby bath toys scattered from end to end. I’ve told her a million times to empty the tub before I get killed.

She took my home space heaters out of the utility room and put them in the garage for a scout meeting. I am remodeling the utility room and my heaters were keeping the pipes from freezing. She forgot to put them back.

I was hotter than my garage the night she stayed out and did not check in with me. My frustration and anger grew as time went by. At a certain point those feelings gave way to worry. No one knew where she was and by the time I heard the front door open my heart ached. That night my list was no longer important.

Her small acts of annoyance did not seem important. I made a list and turned them into positives. I was positive that I did not car where she parked as long as she made it home each day. I was certain that the number of times I was grateful she was the mother of our children outnumbered the toys in the tub. She can give away all my heaters because she provides the warmth to our shared life.

Every day I use every one of her fabulous ‘faults’ to remind myself that I am a better husband and father because of the partnership we share. I smile when get out to move her car or take a shower. These are now my constant reminders that I am blessed.