Opposites Attract?

While out for dinner recently, we placed our order with the server and once again said, “Opposites attract!”  Mark enjoyed meat and potatoes with a glass of sweet white wine, and Mel had fish with a dry red wine.  We remarked on how opposite our orders were and reminisced about our differences and how they have impacted our marriage.

Over the years, we’ve experienced various perspectives on being such opposites.  Early on in our marriage our differences were fun and exciting as we were discovering each other.  When we painted a room, we were playful as we laughed and joked about our differing attention to detail.

Then came children and the busy-ness of life.  Usually overwhelmed, we were easily irritated by one another and our differences separated us.  Painting a room together then became a challenge; Mel is meticulous and wanted to take her time and get all the details done right, and Mark sees the big picture and just wanted to get the work done as quickly as possible.  Working together was no fun as we grumbled about each other under our breath until one of us finally gave up, walking out of the room saying, “Fine. Finish it on your own!”

Then a special couple shared with us that they celebrate their differences.  Huh?  That didn’t seem possible to us at that time, but their example inspired us to view our opposite qualities and skills as beneficial.  So, when we decided to paint our home’s exterior we agreed that Mel would paint all of the trim around the windows and doors, while Mark would paint the wood siding.  We worked together and enjoyed our time spent beautifying our home.

Over time we’ve realized we can allow our differences to pull us apart or WE CAN CHOOSE to enjoy our differences – and even be grateful for them.  Our individual uniqueness allows us to be stronger together – to accept one another, to take delight in our differences and to love more fully.  For more information about this topic, check out the video at this link: Accept, Delight, Love