Marriage is not designed to fulfill all our selfish desires. Rather it is an ingenious scheme to engage people in the far more magnanimous end of contributing to the happiness of others. The rush of blissful attraction sure gets us interested in the first place. But it is the less splashy, more enduring satisfaction of actual service that keeps us warm for the long haul.

All of life mirrors this reality. If you have a stationary pool of water, it becomes stagnant. If it keeps moving, refreshing, quenching thirsty tree roots, it stays fresh. 

The other night John rubbed my shoulders. I find it fascinating that we are physically incapable of rubbing our own knotty necks. 

I remember as a little girl realizing that while the chocolate in my hand tastes good, really good, the feeling would last much longer if I gave it away. I witness this daily with my twins. If I hand three cupcakes to Aurelle, she will give one back because three is not an even number. Sharing matters more than deliciousness. How young to have figured that out.