#1 Cheerleader

You ever come home from a hellish day at work, craving someone to tell you how you should have done things differently? Ummm, nope! After a stressful day, all you want (and need, really), is someone to hear you out. Every day we have to bite our tongues and be polite when interacting with other people, so after a long day it's wonderful to have someone to just listen to you vent. We all need to express our feelings in a totally uncensored way, and that's why it's nice to have a partner (or friend, for all the singletons out there) who will listen, even when they may not agree with you. Despite their prejudices, they'll agree with you that your boss is a jerk or your mom is a control freak. They'll rub your back and tell you that no, you aren't gaining weight or losing your hair, and it's okay to have another glass of wine and or skip the gym once and awhile. That's what being supportive in a relationship looks like. Because after dealing with everyone else's drama all day long, sometimes you just need to feel heard and respected. Having a partner who is your biggest cheerleader is important for that purpose. They aren't lying to you when they say they think you look amazing or your work ethic is totally underappreciated at work. They see you through rose-colored glasses, as your partner should. While the rest of the world sees you as you want to be seen, they see you as who you really are and accept that, flaws and all.

71 Years and Counting...

I met a couple the other night at work who had been married 71 years. Can you believe that? That's almost 3 times my age. When I asked them how they stayed together for so long, they said something that's pretty basic: "We get along." Simple as that. They ordered the same dish and sat side by side, both in their 90s. In our 20s and 30s, it can be hard to imagine being with one person for 5 years, let along 71. What happens when it gets boring? What if you stop having sex? What if sex gets boring? Or worse, what if someone (or both people) cheats? Marriage is tough. I don't think a lot of people quite realize that. I don't think I do! I've only been married for not even 9 months, so I am still in the honeymoon phase. But I do think there's a misconception about marriage. It's idealized in our society and that's a reason why we have such a high divorce rate. When the going gets rough, we get going. We don't want to suffer or be unhappy, so we break up and find another person who can make us laugh, looks good naked, and makes a decent living. We forget that there will be years, (yes YEARS) of hardship. There will be times when you absolutely hate the person lying next to you. There might even be times when your trust is shattered and you don't know if you can ever trust that person again. But what it all boils down to (in my humble opinion) is two things:
1. Do you still love each other and like spending time together?
2. Do you both want to make it work?
Tom needed Jerry, Bonnie needed Clyde, heck even chips need salsa and peanut butter needs jelly. One is not enough to save a marriage, you both need to want it. And it takes work sometimes. It isn't always flowers and hot sex. It's baby vomit and dog poop. It's being incredibly hungry but still taking the time to make your hubby dinner before you sit down after a 12hr shift. It's working 3 jobs so you can afford to take your wife on vacation. It's sacrifice sometimes. But it's also knowing that you have someone who will love you and support you no matter what. You could be jobless, unshaven (girls too), depressed or simply boring and your spouse will have your back. That's love, that's marriage, that's a long-term relationship. And that my friends, is not easy. Do I know what I'm talking about? A little. I take advice from people who have been married much, much longer than myself. Like that couple who'd been together 71 years. They like being together. To spend that many years with someone and still want to sit next to them and hold their hand? I want that. Don't we all?

Dreams..Are they just for kids?

Hi readers, sorry it has been awhile. I want to post today about a non-relationship issue: dreams/goals/aspirations. Today I spoke to a woman who renewed my confidence in my own personal dream. What dream is that, you ask? My adult dream of being a successful Marriage and Family Therapist. You see, there's a difference between what we dream of doing as kids and what we aspire to be as adults. Our interests, tastes, and expectations change as we grow up. When I was little, my mom told me I could be whatever I wanted when I grew up. The sky was the limit. Too bad what I wanted to be was either a famous artist or famous actress, two of the hardest-to-achieve careers in the world. Cut to 20 years later and all I ended up with was an eating disorder and no starring roles or $5000 paintings sold. The reality is, you aren't the same person at 25 as you were at 5. Kids don't know that one in a million girls get to be supermodels or Miss America. They only see the glitz, the glamour, the fun of a job. As adults, we often see the grit, or the negatives of a career. For example:

Firefighter:
Kids: "Wow, I want to save people's lives! And rescue cats!"
Adults: "They aren't hiring right now. And it seems really dangerous."

Doctor:
Kids: "Cool, I get to help sick people get better. And I get to wear scrubs to work, fun!"
Adults: "I have to be in school for how long? And don't get me started on the student loans I'll have to pay back. I'll be in debt for years, not worth it."

Singer:
Kids: "I am on stage for everyone to see. I am singing because it makes me happy!"
Adults: "Make a career out of singing? Good luck. Might as well move in with my parents now and forget about moving out or going on a date before I'm 40. I'll never make it big."

Race Car Driver:
Kids: "I get to go fast! I love cars and racing!"
Adults: "Woah, way too dangerous. I could never do that, I'm too tall. It's too late for me to try."

The woman I spoke with today reminded me that, while we may not achieve the dreams of our youth, we can still dream. We don't have to settle for "just getting by." That is so depressing! Having dreams and goals as an adult is a great thing because it pushes you to try just a little bit harder. Yeah, you could watch a movie or get a massage (those rock, obviously). Or you could spend an hour writing that novel you've always wanted to publish or update your LinkedIn profile so you can score a better job.  Instead of looking at yet another "Desserts to Die For" wall on Pintrest or zoning out on Facebook, why not spend 5 min a day towards getting what you really want in life? Don't settle for good enough. Dream like you did when you were 5, but just tailor it for your adult self. You probably will never be a model or major league baseball player. Sorry kid, it just wasn't in the cards if you're over 25 and it hasn't happened yet. But what about working for your favorite team or becoming a talent scout? That old question, "What would you do if money didn't matter?" is corny as hell but kind of true.

My final example is one that recently happened to me. I just bought rims for my car, which I had to explain to .my mom since she had no idea what 'rims' were, or why I spent over a year saving for something that I never see. Anyway, the day after I got my new rims, some jerk keyed about 15 inches of my car, right above my back left tire. For a week after it happened, all I could see was the scratch, not the rims I'd spent a fortune on. I was seeing the tiny flaw, not the whole package. Focusing on the negative is never a way to be, but as adults we do have to be realistic. A 35 year old trying to be a princess is not cute, it's pathetic and sad. But a 35 year old creating her own business centered around princess parties for toddlers? Genius! Go after your dreams, because they don't die when you grow up, they just change.