Marriage.  Done it twice. What wisdom did I gain from twenty-three years of devotion to that institution?

  • No two marriages are alike.

In my first marriage I was held as an organizing genius.  I had my stuff together and he admired that.

Second marriage I was considered an organizational nightmare.  Even though by that time I had already spent hours with professional organizers and actually had files in filing cabinets I was still dubbed—a mess.

  • Your partner is your best friend and will be there for you through thick and thin, until he/she decides not to, then your partner becomes your worst enemy.
  • Other truth: some people have more skills at being your worst enemy and making your life miserable than others.
  • Men do not understand the importance of draperies.
  • Children complicate things.  They have a way of shining a spotlight on differences that you would have never known were there without them.
  • When other people can’t understand why the two of you are together, there might be a real good reason for their confusion.
  • Do not share checkbooks.  Keep your money separate.  Co-mingling funds is a bad, bad idea, but lawyers love it if you do.
  • Make sure you really like your wedding ring if you plan on staying married for awhile.
  • Girls’ night out is critical.
  • Everyone has different expectations of what marriage looks like, and what purpose it serves.
  • It is not uncommon to wake-up one day and realize the person next to you is a complete stranger.