Hey y'all! It's your girl bloveslife, and I just had to share something special with you today. My husband and I were out having dinner, just eating and talking like we always do, when we got into this beautiful conversation about our marriage. And let me tell you, it got me thinking about how much we've grown together over these 26 years.
The Real Talk About Marriage Changes
You know what the biggest change in our marriage has been? **Age, y'all. For real.** We're about to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary this August 12th, and when I tell you that the older you get in marriage, the more refined everything becomes - it's the truth.
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When we were younger, it was all about those expensive gifts. Honey, my husband used to buy me some *expensive* gifts - diamonds, jewelry, you name it. The last time I got diamonds was... well, let me not put our business all out there! But seriously, gentlemen, once you start with those expensive gifts, you're going to have to outdo yourself every time. That's some real advice for you younger brothers out there.
From Gifts to Memories
But here's what I've learned: at some point, what do you get somebody who has everything? You give them your **time**. Your time is valuable, and now we just go places and do stuff together. The memories are more important to me now than ever before.
It's funny how relationships change in small ways too. My husband used to give me all his drum pieces when we ordered wings - now we don't split anymore because I want my flats! He used to give me his onions because I loved them, and I'd just grab them off his burgers. Now he keeps his onions. It's a small example of how we've both grown into our own preferences, but we're still each other's partner - we're each other's "gang."
Learning Gratitude Along the Way
I saw this viral video recently about a girl who got an attitude because her boyfriend brought her a Pandora gift instead of something more expensive. Y'all, that broke my heart because I would have been so happy! That right there shows you whether someone is marriage material or not. Life has lots of ups and downs, and so will your finances. You need someone who's going to ride or die with you, and the only way you'll know is when things get tough.
Staying Real in a Fake World
Speaking of staying real, can we talk about social media for a minute? These days, everybody's trying to be something they're not online. People taking photos on private jets just for the picture, then walking right back off. There was this guy who photoshopped his body in a picture, but you could see the bench behind him was all warped from the editing. Baby, you cannot get away with that stuff today!
At our age, just be who you are. If you got a little tire around your waist, keep the tire and let everybody see it. People who are following you - especially if you're in any kind of public position - they're following you for who you are, not necessarily how you look.
Health and Wellness Journey
Y'all know I don't usually get too personal about health stuff, but I have to share this. We've been using this supplement called Zola Vital, and the testimonies I've been getting from people have been amazing. People dealing with chronic pain, headaches, mobility issues - and they're finding relief.
I only had pain one time, took it, and it went away. I was shocked. But think about it - if you live in pain every day, imagine finding something that actually helps. We take mobility and health for granted until we don't have it anymore.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
My husband started feeling his age recently - he's in his late 40s and saying he's lost a step. It made me think about how we used to work out five days a week with our trainer Nick. He'd be doing box jumps, bear crawling up hills in our backyard, and coming upstairs completely soaked in sweat asking for water. Those were some intense workouts!
Now we're talking about maybe getting some land and building a big ranch-style house with no stairs. When you're thinking about your last house, you want something you can age in comfortably.
The Beauty of Growing Together
The beautiful thing about 26 years of marriage is that we've learned to appreciate the simple moments. Like sitting at Shooters Park Sports and Grill, sharing wings with their amazing dry rub seasoning, trying their pizza, and just talking about life.
We've learned that stuff changes, and that's okay. We're not the same people we were 26 years ago, but we've grown together. He's still my partner, my best friend, and honestly, I can't wait for the next 26 years.
To All My Beautiful People
If you're in a relationship, remember this: be grateful for what you have. Focus on making memories together. Don't get caught up in trying to be something you're not on social media. And most importantly, choose someone who's going to stick with you through the ups and downs.
Marriage isn't always easy, but when you find your person - your partner, your gang - it's worth every moment of the journey.
God first in everything you do, y'all.
