My anniversary is in a few days. It’s one of those numbers that gets forgotten because of the big one that follows. This is number nineteen for us. Nineteen! Aren’t we too young for that?
So I thought it would be fun to share something that happened on our honeymoon. We had our first fight as a married couple less than a week into married life.
What are the odds, right?
We’d bought the game Risk and were playing it together. For those who don’t know, it’s a game of world domination. Steve and I tell this story differently, but I still think my version is right based on what follows! He says I was winning, but as he took over my countries in Europe, he flicked my game pieces off the board.
One.
By one.
By one.
And I did not like that.
It was enough that he was beating me; did he have to rub it in too?
Steve and I are both the oldest in our family — which I hear experts say is never a good match. (What do they know?) Our families were also completely opposite. I had a younger sister, and he had a younger brother. I was so not used to guys and the way they tease. And poor Steve was not used to girls and how, um, emotional they can be!
We never did finish that game. And we’ve never played each other in Risk since. We’re way too competitive, although I think in these nineteen years we’ve matured enough to handle it. But now it’s a story we laugh about.
What about you? Any fun relationship stories? Yours or family members? If you’re married, how many years is it for you? How have you and your spouse made each other better?
Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, Sally has been fascinated by all things Chicago (except for crime, politics, and traffic) for almost as long. She now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they get back to Chicago for important things -- like good pizza and a White Sox game. A freelance-fiction editor and former president of her writing chapter, Sally has won a handful of awards for Kept and another work-in-progress. Visit her online at sallybradley.com or on Facebook.
Oh, yeah, I remember the first fight my hubby and I had. It was during the first year we were married. We decided to go see a movie and went to one of the local theaters. I went back to the car to get my lightweight jacket (those places are always COLD) while he went to the snack counter to get sodas and popcorn. I walked back in to find him at the counter with the woman across the counter holding both of his hands and leaning toward him flirting. I saw red and walked up, put my arm through his and pulled him away, glaring at her the whole time. Turned out to be his ex-girlfriend (who had cheated on him with one of his best friends, to boot). grrr
I don’t remember now what movie we saw, not sure I even SAW it because I was so mad that he’d let that woman flirt with him like that, but we didn’t speak until we got in the car to go back home. When I asked him WHY he let that woman hold his hands, he said he hadn’t wanted to “hurt her feelings.” Needless to say, I responded, “So her feelings are important, but mine aren’t? How do you think it made ME feel to see you letting her touch you and flirt with you?” He hadn’t thought of that, he admitted rather sheepishly.
We never did go back to that theater again.
We kind of laugh about that now (nearly 22 years later), because I didn’t say a word to her but the look I gave her had her taking a couple of steps back from the counter. She had someone else get our snacks for us. Sometimes I really am my mother’s daughter. *G*
First fight, huh?
Hmm.
Awkward.
It was about my dad.
Enough said.
Nick and I are opposites :) I feel like it works out well for us because we can compliment each other, it does mean that I have to work pretty hard to understand him at times though :) I am emotional and a talker and well you know Nick :) Coming up on 11yrs now. Our funniest stories came from how we met. He sat next to me in our bible school class and I thought he was shy(not true) so I introduced myself. He found out I worked outside all day and asked if I don’t tan(my tan is everyone else’s pale). It cracked me up. I harassed him pretty bad for it :)
Wow, Dawn! That’s worth having, um, a discussion about, for sure :D
About your dad??? About why he met Scott at the door in his police uniform and gun loaded? :D
The life of a redhead! I can’t tell you, Danielle, how many people I’ve cracked up when I showed them I really DID have a tan!
We’ve been married 18yrs now (April 5th), which still amazes me since it seems like only yesterday we were saying “I do”! He is an amazing man & I can’t imagine doing life with anyone else. We just GET each other :-)
Now, I’m sure we’ve had our little disagreements over the years. I don’t ever remember a huge fight or anything. We’re pretty quick to forgive, let God help us & make up. That being said, one story comes to mind for me. Dawn Turner reminded me of one time I was seriously jealous! We were on one of our first anniversary trips (probably the 2nd or 3rd one) & we were visiting one of the many falls here in Oregon. My husband’s family hails from Germany (great, great, great grandparents) & it’s always a thrill for him to meet & talk with German folk he meets. Since he works in the hotel industry as a manager, he has met many different people from all over the world. On this particular trip, we met up with a group of German high schoolers & their chaperones. We struck up a conversation with them, well my husband did anyway since he can speak pretty fluently. As the conversation went on, I began to notice one woman who was especially interested in what my husband was saying. Now mind you, my husband IS an interesting person but this was WAY beyond what it should have been! I began to feel a bit uncomfortable & not liking where this was leading. I gently prodded my husband to move on since there were other areas of the falls we wanted to see. I moved on up the trail-head a bit expecting him to follow me. This woman was right behind us once again engaging my husband in conversation. I looked at him with this scowl….and I think you KNOW what that looks like! :-) I finally got him to join me & this woman moved on to be with the group. I asked him if he knew that this woman was flirting with him to which he said he did not. Since he is a friendly & engaging individual person, I believed him. He just thought it was fantastic to strike up a conversation with some German folks. He really didn’t know that she had been flirting with him!! He said he had been wondering why I was looking at him with an angry look on my face! We can both look back at this & laugh 18yrs later! It really is funny to me to realize he was completely unaware of all that was going on. And very flattering to me to know he had (and always has had) eyes for only me :-)
I always look back in time with wonderment….how we have made it 18 years! God has been in the very center of our marriage every second of each day. We’ve had our ups & downs, but there is no way I would want to spend it with anyone else. He’s taught me so much about having faith in the Lord, delved deeper in God’s word & answered my many questions over the years. He’s stood by me in everything, fought for me, respected me, loved me. What more can I ask for? God is the one who orchestrates our relationship, builds it up & sustains it :-)
Happy anniversary, Sally! I have to say, this post made me smile. Don’t ask my husband about playing Monopoly (my favorite game but I’m pretty ruthless). It wasn’t pretty. I was winning and cleaning up with hotels and rental fees. I say the key to it all is owning both Park Place and Boardwalk. Now I can laugh about it but I’m still not sure if he can! LOL. Blessings and thanks for the post.
Trixi, thanks so much for sharing that! Love your last paragraph especially. And happy anniversary!
JoAnn, I LOVE Monopoly! And Steve won’t play with me because I play to the death. Meaning, if I have a dollar and a mortgaged property, the game ain’t over! ‘Cause there’s a chance! :D
Thirty-nine years, and I don’t remember our first fight. But we are both the oldest and competitive, and I learned that we shouldn’t play tennis together. The one fight I remember was after a tennis match. He left in a huff, and I had to walk home. Thankfully, it was only a half mile.
Well, time to cool off is always good! Glad to hear a couple similar to us has made it this far. :D
Happy Anniversary, Sally! My husband and I are also celebrating our nineteenth anniversary this year :)