Hard. Anyone who says it isn't, is fooling themselves and you. Meshing two lives is serious business that takes work and dedication. Being equally yolked makes for a much easier foundation. It doesn't mean it will be simple. It just means that you have a covering that you both see working in your lives.
Communication is huge. Learning how to listen to one another is key. Understanding and making sure you are clear is essential. Often times what one of us says is interpreted not the way it was intended. Thus communicating this clarity saves much frustration and hurt. Trying to understand each other and taking the time to "get" our intentions is worth it.
Mike and I didn't have TV for our first four years of marriage. It was the best decision for our marriage. We spent a lot of time creating a foundation of playing games, enjoying each others company, and talking about anything/everything! We often find time especially during the summertime to play games over lunch and talk about anything that comes up. Sometimes it's work talk, sometimes it's our kids talk, sometimes it telling jokes or a story we heard, sometimes it's laughing at our ridiculous sunburn lines! Our openness to talk about ANY subject makes us vulnerable to one another and creates a trust that we can't live without. I can tell Mike anything. I mean anything. Sometimes after a chat about some sort of intimate nature, we look at each other and say, "Ok, NOW we've talked about everything!" At least until the next crazy subject comes up!
Mike is truly my BEST friend ever. He holds my earthly heart like non other. I trust him with my entire world and I know he does the same for me. We have been so incredibly blessed with each other as spouses that I know only God designed us together. This doesn't mean that we don't have our arguments. We do. As any two people trying to mesh a life together will. Just ask my girlfriends...the ones I call when Mike is annoying me! But, it's not the end of the world. We talk through things, we brainstorm ways we can both improve a situation and we try really hard to see how we can make things right for one another. It's tough stuff. If you're married, you know. But nothing worth anything is easy.
