Secrets.

Just the other night, The Mister and I were dining at a small restaurant nearby.  The couple seated next to us smiled as we sat down.  (That’s not always the case these days, but that’s another blog.)  As they were leaving, they stopped at our table and said we looked like nice people. (Appearances can be so deceiving).  They asked how long we’d been married.  We told them 62 years. “What’s your secret?” they asked. 

The Mister answered instantly.  “Resilience,” he said. (Interesting, I thought to myself.) 

I answered quickly, too. “Mistakes,” I said. (Everyone seemed a bit confused by that, but I knew whereof I spoke.)   

The Mister is essentially a handy man with college and business school degrees.  And you simply can’t take the electrician, the plumber, the wood worker and the carpenter out of the man.  No matter how hard you try. 

Thus, being a “dutiful” wife, I make and/or find “mistakes.” It is my great pleasure to discover projects/problems. Hence, I love it when things break, when johns don’t flush and computers go awry.     

See, I know from experience that when he gets wind of those “opportunities,” his beloved tool box will be called into service.  Ditto the plunger, the saw, the nails, the screws and the wires. As well as the 75 year old collection of screws because “you never know when you might need that very one.” And he’ll be on the job in a flash.

And he will be happy.  And I’m happy when he’s happy.  And that’s our little secret to a long and happy marriage.

Image thanks to Justin Lim.