They say that opposites attract and while I do believe that is mostly true, I also think that what this brings to a marriage is balance. Imagine if your spouse were EXACTLY like you. I don’t know about you but for me that is kind of a scary thought.
My husband and I have very different personalities. He is much quieter, not as prone to speak up about things. Me, on the other hand, I have no problem offering my opinion. He is more laidback and I can be high-strung.
The way I look at this is if we were both quiet and laidback, there wouldn’t be much communication in our marriage. And if we were both opinionated and high-strung, we would probably be at each other’s throats all the time.
But in order to balance each other out, with all of the differences you might have, you have to learn patience and acceptance. I have to be patient with my husband’s reluctance to speak up about certain things, just as he has to be patient with my forthrightness.
I must also be accepting of who he is. I shouldn’t try to change him or make him feel that something is wrong with him just because he’s not like me. This goes both ways.
The differences between a husband and wife can easily become a source of contention. Or if you
choose to look at this in a more positive light, it can also be valuable as you allow it to balance each other out.
Let me give you a small example of how this can work. My husband doesn’t like to read. I have a voracious appetite for books. So some evenings I will read to him. In fact, we are currently working through “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. He doesn’t have to read but yet he gets to share in a book with me.
That is just one example of balancing each other out. Sometimes it means learning how to compromise and sacrifice. But the bottom line is to see your differences in a more positive light.
How have you and your spouse learned to balance each other out?
Related Articles:
The Way We Handle Our Emotions
Photo by darktaco in stock.xchng