Year 5

M and I just celebrated Year 5. It's amazing how fast time flies when you are having loads of fun. Of course, it wasn't always easy, especially the first couple of years. It was a time of adjustment -- two cultures, two independent mindsets, two different upbringings, in one living space. It wasn't always "Home, Sweet, Home." At times, it was a battleground of wills. Through it all, we have learned not how to stop fighting, but how to fight constructively.

He has let me know, in no uncertain terms, that emotional manipulation -- women's usual primary weapon -- through words and actions (or inaction) will never work on him. He hates it with a passion. He appreciates straight and honest talk, in a calm manner and responds better to that. And I've let him know that his propensity to not talk about things may buy him some time, but will not make me back down. I have learned to try and say things plainly sans emotionalism, exaggeration or manipulation. He is learning to not hesitate to say what he thinks and feels as it will not elicit any hysteria from me (or so I hope).

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." We do continue to sharpen each other. Some times are easier than others, but I'm glad it's no longer a sharpening of claws when we butt heads.

One morning, our daily reading together said, "A Happy Marriage consists of two forgivers." We looked at each other and started chuckling. We both have forgiven each other for many, many things. And being the way we both are, we know we will have to be doing more forgiving in the years to come.