At long last, after more than three years (or thirty-nine months or 1,180 days—yes, I counted), my long distance relationship is over! I will always have someone to come home to; I'll never have to say goodbye again! And do you know what else I'll always have to come home to?
His stuff.
I am not a nick-knacky kind of person. I like clean lines, bare surfaces. I would be surprised if there is so much as a bobby pin sitting on the bathroom counter at home right now. To be fair, my husband (I can say that now!) is a very organized and tidy person too. Still, there is a sentimental attachment he has for his things that my habits just do not reflect. And can I just say that men are worse than women when it comes to clothes? AND THE SHOES! Eleven pairs! Sure, I have just as many, but they go with different outfits. How many pairs of neutrally colored, wardrobe-spanning shoes does one man need, I ask you?!
Here is what I'm learning: patience, organizing, craigslist (just kidding!).
Maybe marital graces will help me to understand why an entire closet full of just-in-case-we-need-it-someday items is his way of saying, "I'm taking care of you." If not, at least my lack of things leaves enough closet space for his.
Here's to marriage! Here's to compromise! Here's to investing in storage units!
Written by: Erika Rose is West Michigan Woman magazine's staff writer. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism. Erika was born and raised in West Michigan, and after a brief stint on the sunrise side, she's home and loving it.
