Watching my wife lost in her garden early today, I thought of instances when she's commented on me being in a musical trance. Soon after, it dawned on me what a gift it is that our individual interests don't necessarily always overlap.
Although powerful music gives my wife as much pleasure as beautiful gardens give me, I believe the solitary moments each of us have spent consumed by our passions have strengthened our bond. This is so in part because those moments have helped animate many of our subsequent conversations, like the one we had later in the day.
Have you known couples who appear to enjoy doing almost everything together and spend very little time apart? I have; bravo to them. I'm guessing no one who knows our forty-six-year partnership well would ever describe us in this fashion. Bravo to us. Although I'm good with "...for better or for worse..." and proud of how I've risen to the occasion with respect to "...in sickness and in health...", I'm also relieved those vows say nothing about "... having lunch together every day..."
Hey Pat. My wife and I enjoy doing lot of things together but at the same time have our own, singular, interests that we both enjoy. Although there are times when she has said that she wishes we could share one particular thing, and in past years I have attempted to be part of that, for me, at this stage of my life, its just not for me. Maybe it never will be, but .. well, never say never ? I do strongly feel that it is important to be able to share things and time together. But equally as important to have interests that are mine, or shared with friends, etc. Could that be the 'well balanced life' I've heard tell about? For me it seems to be.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Hey Bob; Seems to me the "well-balanced life" has a lot of applicability for these circumstances. I know I'm more likely to look forward to being with my partner regularly because we're regularly in parallel play. Thanks for the comment.
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