He likes country music; she likes alternative rock. He’s a gamer; she’s a reader. She loves dogs; he hates anything that sheds.
Should people contemplating wedlock who share few common interests take the plunge? Are they destined to fight, bicker, and disagree which radio station they should listen to, who should take out the trash and when the house should be cleaned? Can a marriage with different views and opinions be successful?
Democratic strategist James Carville and Republican consultant Mary Matlin may disagree politically, but they have found common ground in marriage. The eccentric lead singer of The Cars, Ric Ocasek, and supermodel, Paulina Porizkova, are another example of opposites not only attracting, but flourishing with years of marriage and family.
Prince Charming lives only in storybooks. Mr. Perfect is alive and well in our fantasy worlds and imaginative minds alone. If you are fortunate enough to have fallen deeply, passionately in love, honor that commitment and realize that differences can bring a couple together and strengthen the bond between them. Would you honestly want to live with and marry yourself? As a friend of mine said “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, sometimes it’s artificial turf.”
Let’s set the scene: take two people; place them under one roof with common goals: be happy, get along, compromise, negotiate, respect one another, grow together and don’t lose your identity in the process. Mature yourself, expand your thoughts, encounter new experiences, meet new people, learn new skills, and by the way, remember your partner. Impossible task? Can’t be done? “Happily married” is not an oxymoron; sustaining a satisfying, healthy relationship is attainable - even with an odd pairing.
Marriage is not meant to be easy; it is the ultimate pledge of commitment and a work in progress.
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