Marriage Moats-Wonder Girl

Published: Sat, 04/16/11

Marriage Moats

Caring for Marriage

Folks are gung-ho about getting stronger.

Sometimes I drive past the gym and see people crammed inside after an exhausting day, in pursuit of a six pack. They ratchet up the pressure on the machines that force them to sweat and strain, so that later they can enjoy the benefits of being buff.

It is handy to be around athletes. When I cannot open a jar, or carry a box of books, I am quick to ask for help from a brawny stranger. They do the work twice, first when they run the treadmill for hours, and then when they hoist my heavy load. I have it easy.

But sometimes I am alone, and there is no one to rescue me. I start to wish I had put in the time to turn flab into fab. I am faced with a task that I cannot garner the strength to do.

Marriage is work, in case I have not mentioned it before. There are times when I can ride on the coat tails of fit relationships around me, like when I am out to dinner with a bevy of clergy couples, who are all so ridiculously polite it carries me along without effort. But when I am home the only one to turn sweat into sweet is me.

If I have not put in the hours straining to understand what John is saying, or bit my tongue in half when there is a perfectly timed potshot perched there, I do not stand a chance when the pressure is on.

Photo by Chara Odhner