Marriage Moats-Beach Party

Published: Wed, 03/16/11

Marriage Moats

Caring for Marriage

There is no law against having fun in difficult circumstances. It can be done. Recently I was with eight sunny teenagers, singing show tunes on a crowded subway in Queens. They were surrounded by a slab of half frozen humanity, for whom The Little Mermaid was as far away as the bottom of the sea. We were in New York to celebrate a sweet sixteen birthday, and no one was going to snow on their parade. They laughed in the underground parking lot, made jokes waiting in line for the bathroom, befriended the door man at FAO Schwartz and shared scented hand sanitizer when the conditions got grungy.

One of the things my six foot sons like to point out is that they are taller than me. Then I remind them that I am richer. But this weekend the six foot son on the subway also had me beat in another dimension... he smiled more. I know, I was one of the responsible adults, who had to double check the locks, and pay attention to the gas gauge. He was free to laugh, and play in the snow with his friends, drink his favorite soda and amble the sidewalks of Manhattan.

But the truth is.... I was free to too. Even cleaning toilets is fun if you make it so. Just try doing it with a two year old, who loves splashing.

Marriage often brings with it a conveyor belt of to do lists. But that does not keep anyone from singing "Kiss De Girl" while you sashay through it.

Photo by Chara Odhner