'...it is not that I am perfect, it is that you make me look perfect!'

We recently celebrated our 8th anniversary and the other night, we got talking about the past year and our marriage in general. And we came to a common conclusion: we were two very ordinary individuals who seemed to be in an extraordinary marriage! And the reason for it as my husband put it: "As in a good doubles tennis pair, we make up for each others' weakness". Narrating some of the incidents, he told me he couldn't think of any girl who would be game to move from NY to NJ 3 days after her delivery, just cause her husband said so. Nor did he know of anyone who knowing that her hubby is a procrastinator and needed a push to start things off would take 2 extra percoset tablets and get to packing stuff as she put the newborn to sleep, with absolutely no nagging. He said, 'any other women I know would have complained that in the normal course I pick up your slack, but I just delivered a baby two days ago, and you didn't...Who would be ready to apply to colleges, just cause her husband said that would be the easiest way for him to change projects...and all that while taking care of a baby, cooking, cleaning, grocery, doctor visits, paying the bills, entertaining guests...taking them out, planning the Florida vacation, writing MBA exams; not to mention selling stuff and packing for the big move from US to India and doing every other single job at home and out of home'. It was months of real crunch time for him when he had to leave home at 7.30 and get back at 11.00 in the night for 8 months on an end! He said, '...it is not that I am perfect, it is that you make me look perfect!'.

Whatever he says, I know that any other kind hearted person would do that. And thinking back, I could say the same things for him. Like the times he took care of me, during my difficult and complicated pregnancy...after a hard day's work, he would get up as many times as I'd throw up or be hungry and needed a sandwich or juice. Even soon after Kunal was born when he would be up for every feeding with me, when he didn't have to! I am sure every marriage has such moments, when you raise above the ordinary...but in our humble opinion a good marriage has to be one where it feels natural and normal to do that: when a sacrifice doesn't seem like a sacrifice, when their shortcomings are not something you live with but taken as just part of who they are, when losing your individuality doesn't make your rootless and lost, but makes you closer to each other...and best of all is when all of this happens not as a planned effort, but as a seamless progression! My husband always says, "Being with you, loving you is easiest job for me...and it is always fun!" Well, my reply..."ditto!"