New Mantra

On Thursday night I caught some special on ABC and this newly wed couple was asking people from all over advice on how to ensure a marriage lasts forever. One woman said something that struck a chord for me and I wanted to share it with you Mamas because this advice could be true for any relationship. She said, "Find the imperfections in your spouse and learn to love them as soon as possible." Wow. Chilly statement compared to the usual "Marry your best friend" or "Always kiss and make up before going to bed." I've decided to not only apply this to my husband's imperfections but to my children's as well and hopefully I will have better success in raising them. For instance, Bella is not a happy-go-lucky kid. Instead of hating that and wishing she'd change and be something she's not - I have to embrace this and love that she approaches life differently from me. Hard to do but such a better way to spend my energy! New mantra "love the imperfections of your loved ones". I know it's not love to acknowledge imperfections - maybe not a good idea to tell that person about the imperfections you found of them - but it is love to love them as a whole being, right? So no more thinking "I love Bella so much I just wish she wasn't such a buzz kill sometimes." Or "I love my husband, I just wish he could be handy around the house." Love, love, love.