Keepin' it REAL

For the longest time I would answer people who asked about my marriage in a very simple clear cut statement "We keep it real."
Sometimes I got returned laughter, sometimes I got extra details of their own marriages or they would simply nod at this statement.
Some people would interpreted  my saying "We keep it real" to mean "We are boring" or "We are lazy." But that's never what I meant.
Some people would say back "You guys DO seem like REAL people." BINGO! that is what I meant! As a married couple we kept ourselves real and growing, we had ups and downs all kinds of events and all kinds of conversations.....we had at times over this first decade need to correct each other or hit to the truth of how the other is feeling.
We share many things but differed in the same amount of many things.....
A marriage is both romantic and real, being honest, normal and able to deal with what the other is carrying then that is what I always meant how I saw my own relationship.

I could say quite a bit abut marriage now but back when a few after getting married a girl asked me if I had discovered the secret to a long happy marriage, I stumbled in surprise then said "Be  good friends first and always, Mastery the art of love comes easy if there is friendship not just passion..."  Of course that was my 24 year old self and now I would have to still agree:-D

The kinds of things life will hand you in the time you are married or with your partner will be across the board crazy or challenging, the simple truth is if you are not REAL friends......you will have to move on in that search for a true kindred spirit still.

I thought I would share 10 pictures for these last 10 years....yet all my memories and all my stories of what is a good marriage is that it is REAL:-)

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