Are you the one who married Prince Charming?
No wonder I couldn’t find him.

Some women are lucky and found their Prince
first time around. They stayed married and lived
happily ever after. Like Cinderella.

Most of us hitched up with a guy like us. Someone who had
dreams and worries. Someone we fell in love with. What
happened?

Because after years and years of being married that someone
became a predictable partner–a roommate you didn’t
particularly want to room with next year.

Even if you married Mr. Rogers (or Tom Hanks) tell the truth:
aren’t there times you’ve thought about homicide?

Your husband isn’t who he was 30 years ago. Ever think what
your life would be like if you’d married the other guy?

There are some benefits to a long-term marriage, however:
Your husband knows what you look like in the morning and still stays.

There are disadvantages to a long-term marriage, too.

You know all his weird habits.

You’ve heard his jokes and stories hundreds of times. He still
laughs at them.

He spends more time on his iphone than he spends with you.

He watches you take the shell off an egg, make the meatloaf, load
the dishwasher, and then informs you that you’re doing it wrong
even though you’ve been doing it just fine for 30 years.

He says at least once a night, “Where did YOU put the remote?”
You tell him without even looking, “You’re laying on it,” because
he usually is.

He barks “Where did YOU put the ketchup? Where did YOU put the
leftover Chinese? Where did YOU put the tuna salad I bought a
few weeks ago?” when he’s looking for something in the refrigerator.
What he’s looking for is usually on the top shelf in front. You can’t
miss it. But he does.

He worries about his health. His bathroom cabinet is stocked
with remedies for anything anyone might catch or scratch. If
you have a sprained anything, a urinary infection, ear wax,
an arthritic knee or malaria from a recent trip to Africa, he has
the pill, lotion, tonic, tablet, capsule or wonder drug to cure it.
The pharmacy at Shoprite calls him when they run out.

The charm he once charmed you with he now reserves for others.

The lust has been lost, the sex que sera, sera.

Yet…

He’s like having an apprentice from Home Depot around. He can’t do
much but he comes in handy.

He’s good at opening pickle jars.

He gets rid of the bug with 100 legs that’s in the kitchen sink.

He can lift 24 bottles of Snapple at Costco, put them in the
wagon, then in the car, then in the house.

He can reach the top shelf of anyplace if you ask him–numerous
times.

He can stuff a 17 lb. turkey into a small freezer that already
has two 17 lb. turkeys.

Ask him about the ways you annoy him and his list will probably
be a very long one.  But he’s known to exaggerate.

Things could be worse. He could be a psycho serial wife killer
like in a Lifetime movie. Who lives a fairy tale life anyway?
Cinderella still had to deal with her step-mother.

Often, when I look at my husband, I look for the younger man
I fell in love with. I hope he’s still there someplace. I’ve changed
too over the years. I wonder if when he looks at me, he can still
see the girl I used to be, the girl he loved so passionately.

My husband and I have been through so many ups and downs over
the years. Despite all the things he does that drive me nuts, when I
reach for his hand, it’s there. I’m so grateful to still be with him.

You’re just a button click away and I’d love to hear from you. 

About your world, 
your family, your joys and frustrations, growing up, growing older, even recipes– even though I stopped cooking–by request–years ago.

Goodbye until next time…

Hope your day turns out as well as I hope (but doubt) mine will,

Gingy (Ilene)