When a Marriage Becomes a Comedy Routine, It Is Forever
Stories that bring joy and challenge our perspective on life
Laughing through marriage
When the foundation of a relationship is love and respect, there is no need to consider what to do when it falls apart. Forty years ago when I met Randy and married at the age of 19, it was his sense of humor that drew me to him. During the last four centuries, he has never disappointed me. Each day is a new adventure and it doesn’t matter what the sunrise brings, good or bad events, I know we will laugh.
OK, a qualifier for readers who are now thinking, “Yeah, right!” He has disappointed me when he didn’t pick his clothes up off the floor, when he forgets our anniversary or forgets to remind me that our anniversary is approaching, and when he bought those new golf clubs for himself the day before his birthday. However, during the moments that matter, he meets my every need.
He supported me when
- I wanted to buy a Harley and he had to teach me how to drive it even though I am admittedly an awful driver.
- I choose forest service green even though he knew it would insult the eyes and I would want to repaint it the following year.
- He rushed me to the hospital when I told him I thought my water broke and he thought I had just spilled a glass of water. We were young and new to the experience.
- He spoon-fed my mother in her hospital bed and when at first she refused to eat he made sounds like a train and said, “Open up the choo choo is coming.” She had to comply with his request when he put it like that.
US divorce rates
Marriages seem to set up for failure as the success rates are posted on the news and discussed on social media. Prenuptials establish a get of jail free mentality and too often couples enter a marriage with an escape plan.
Branka Vuleta reports in her article Divorce Rate in America January 28, 2021,
- Divorces amongst people aged 50+ years is rising.
- Fewer couples choose to marry than pre-1990.
- The U.S. divorce rate is amongst one of the highest in the world.
- There are currently over 750,000 divorces in the U.S. each year.
- Most Americans who file for divorce do so between January and March.
You can’t stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh. — Jay Leno
The best marriage advice is to laugh together
Remember, there is a difference between laughing at someone and laughing with them. But once a couple learns to find the humor in a situation, they have developed a bond that is difficult to break. When the threads that unite us weaken and fray when we feel like we are just holding on by a thread, one of us places the events into perspective by making a joke. We have come to realize nothing is so important that we can’t laugh at it and if we are struggling to find the humor we are taking it way too seriously.
Marriage is like a game of chess,except the board is flowing water, the pieces are made of smoke and no move you make will have any effect on the outcome. — Jerry Seinfeld
I have collected some of the humorous stories that chronicle the humor we share in our relationship. To appreciate them, a reader must understand our appreciation and use of sarcasm. Many believe sarcasm is destructive, and that is true if it is not accepted for what it is, a form of humor. When we stop laughing, we are lost!
