7 Things We Learned in 7 Years of Marriage
It’s our anniversary. Here are 7 things we’ve learned in the first 7 years of marriage.
Fifth Thing:
One evening, Tim decided do a painting. After he was finished, he had some colours left over on the palette. On a whim, he challenged me, “How about you do a painting using only my leftover paints?” I looked at what was there: a glob of pale yellow, some dark blue, a tiny bit of brown and a smidgen of green. I hadn’t been challenged like this before. I looked at him, my competitive nature compelling me on, “Challenge accepted!”
I stared at the blank piece of paper and wondered what I’d gotten myself into. What should I paint? I decided to go with a nature scene inspired by the ocean view we had while on vacation. It took me about 15 minutes before I ran out of paint.
When I finished, I was astonished at what I had produced. “You certainly are a painter,” said Tim with a huge grin when I showed him. I felt proud of my abilities with renewed confidence in my gifts. Creating this piece sparked a passion and joy in painting, I hadn’t felt in years. I was excited to create more.
As I reflected on the experience, I realized that Tim was able to challenge me and call out my talent because he knows me so well. After being married to me for seven years, he has a sense of what I am capable of, even when I’ve lost sight of it. And because I trust him, I can respond to his challenge.
Part of marriage is continually calling out the best in each other.
1st thing: Appreciation Strengthens Marriage
2nd thing: Margin Helps Our Marriage
3rd thing: As Strong as the Weakest
4th thing: Children Add Strain to Marriage
6th thing: Waiting Together, the Hard Times
7th thing: Rich Traditions
Written by Tim and Olive Chan
Olive is a friendly introvert and recovering perfectionist. Tim is a cheerful pessimist and always thinking. He especially enjoys being a husband to Olive and father to Alena and Kayla. Tim currently works as the Marketing Strategist for Coracle Marketing, and Olive is the writer and web designer. They started Coracle Marketing together in 2013. Olive has been a contributor to Converge Magazine, SheLoves Magazine, and Hello VanCity.
