I remember being a teenager and being obsessed with having Britney Spears’ body. I even went on a diet that I called the BS Diet because, well, the idea of me actually dieting was…BS.
Britney was perfect and her image was everywhere and I was convinced that I needed to look like her. I was unhappy because I didn’t look like her. It never really occurred to me that it was all just a show. Not until she went through the Crazy Britney period, and we all realized that fame, money and perfection had taken its toll.
So let’s talk about the perfect marriages some of us seem to encounter on the daily. Maybe it’s your friend-of-a-friend on Facebook that is always gushing about her perfect husband and how she can’t wait to devour him in bed later that night. Or the couple in your Bible study who says they’ve never fought. Or maybe you come from a family where you are supposed to just grin, bear it and pretend everything is wonderful when really things suck.
I want to give you some perspective and permission:
Your marriage doesn’t have to be perfect for you to enjoy it. You can be annoyed, mad or hurt by your spouse and still have a wonderful and growing marriage. Heck, if you are never annoyed, mad or hurt by your spouse I’d say that your marriage is probably on the wrong side of healthy.
And pretending that everything is cheeky is a surefire way to end up in marital hell. Because pretending things are great doesn’t make them great and everyone has a tipping point. One of you will eventually shave your head and go crazy on a SUV.
So quit trying to keep up the appearance of a happy and fulfilling marriage. And quit worrying about the happy and perfect marriages that you see around you. And just do you, Boo Boo. Just do you.
