Things I've Gained My First Year Of Marriage

Now that Jason and I have successfully made it through our freshman year of marriage, I feel as though I have learned a lot these past 12 plus months. With marriage comes many things - happiness, joy, companionship, comfort. Below are some things I have gained since becoming a "wife creature":

Patience
Living with another person can test your patience. It is hard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course I wouldn't trade being married for anything in the world, but I have had to learn to become more patient (as I know Jason has too). Someone taking too long in the bathroom? Just shrug it off and let them be. Are there clothes strewn about in an otherwise clean bedroom? Pick them up, hang them in the closet, and move on. Does it take a little longer to decide on how to decorate a room, or what dishes to buy because you have to discuss the issue? You're discussing it so that you will both agree and be happy. Trust me, a little patience can go a long way.

Wisdom
In addition to learning patience, I really believe marriage makes you smarter. After all, you always have someone there to talk with about the issues of the day, what's going on in the news, and can you explain what a first down in football means again? Of course, I wonder if you actually have to marry someone smart to become smarter yourself as a married person? I mean, I see stupid people all the time who are married, usually driving recklessly through the Wal-Mart parking lot, only to emerge from their beat-up van with four dirty kids and a pack of Virginia Slims in hand. But that is neither here nor there. I definitely know that marrying Jason has made me more aware of this world, if not smarter about it.

Stuff
Oh my God. Your stuff, his stuff, the stuff you get from the wedding and the stuff that is handed down to you. It's freakin' everywhere! You bring your boxes and boxes and boxes of books, he brings his boxes and boxes and boxes of computer accessories. You have a lot of shoes? He has a lot of ties. And shirts. And shorts. You have little knick-knacks and decorations, and pictures of your college gal pals? He has the xbox, the Nintendo, the game cube and the Wii. And then there is all the stuff you registered for. And didn't register for. Like the silver tray you received...twice. And the strange candy dishes that relatives gave you (that I have actually come to love and really enjoy, especially with Dove mini chocolates in them). All this stuff leads me directly into the next thing you gain your first year of marriage...

A New House
To contain all the aforementioned stuff, the married couple must purchase a new, preferably bigger, home. We did. We bought our current home in January, and filled it quickly with all of our stuff. We were bursting at the seams in our old house (which I loved) and now we have room to breathe and enjoy all the stuff we brought into the marriage and acquired from our wedding.

Weight
Yes...weight. I can't speak for my husband, but I am victim to the marriage freshman fifteen. I realized this a couple months ago when my fat jeans no longer fit me. After stepping on a scale for the first time during my freshman year of marriage, I discovered that I had gained about 11 pounds. Argh! I'm currently doing something about it, and please to report that the 11 pounds are gone (and then some).

I have several theories as to why a married person gains weight. Married people don't eat cereal for dinner, as singletons do. Married people have less time to go to the gym. Married people are comfortable, and thus less likely to try and maintain the elusive abs of steel because they have already secured their mate. (Although I still try to look good for my husband, and I know my husband tries to look good for me. I think that is something we'll always strive to do).

Understanding
Standing right up there with patience, I have gained understanding whilst being a wife. You know the old saying, "You don't know someone until you live with them"? Well, you don't know someone until you are married to them. Being married to Jason, I've come to understand him more as a man and as a husband. I'm even amazed when I learn something new about him, even after all this time of dating, engagement and marriage. I think this processes is continual. As the years go on, Jason and I will only learn more about each other, become more understanding of one another, and ultimately our love will grow even deeper.

So there you have it. Lessons in life and love that I have gained by taking the plunge and moving into the "married" category on my tax forms. I love marriage and I highly recommend it. Just watch what you eat, have a few extra clothes hangers on hand, and by all means, don't be afraid to return doubles of items you receive from your wedding (lest you want to end up buying a bigger house).