Words of Advice

Today was my first day of my last clinical rotation! I'm working in an outpatient ortho setting that is staffed by only one PT and a part time OT. I'm curious to see how this plays out. The place/population is soooo different from Grady, so it's definitely an adjustment from last semester. My new CI is great - really smart, helpful, friendly, and a great teacher already!

All day, the sweet patients commented on my ring and wanted to talk wedding and marriage. I got a lot of advice from people who have many many years under their belts - one is celebrating her 45th anniversary this year, a couple who is celebrating their 40th anniversary, a woman who has been married for 25 years, and my CI, who has been married for 20 years. The three most memorable pieces of advice:

1. Don't try to change each other
2. Choose your battles
3. Be a good forgiver

I thought these were so true to everything Tim and I have worked on during our >8.5 year relationship. We have supported each other and changed together over the years, which has led us to grow closer together. We never try to change each other because we know who we are together and as individuals, and we love each other for it.

Choosing our battles.... I'd like to honestly say that I don't fret over spilled milk and all, but I do. Tim is way better at this than I am. He is way more gracious at humoring me and my neuroses than I am at letting things go. I've gotten better about it, but it's something I continue to work on. I feel that this is something every couple continuously works on.

Be a good forgiver. When this one was mentioned, all married persons nodded fervently in agreement. I think that this can go hand in hand with choosing your battles. Letting go and moving on, forgiving each other rather than holding grudges, and knowing that you love each other at the end of the day no matter what. Also something to work on for many years to come.

It was really nice to hear "marriage" talk rather than just "wedding" talk. Not many people bring up the day after the wedding, they're mostly concerned with colors and flowers and cake, etc. Not that I'm complaining about that, I love talking about all that as well! But I also love to think about where we'll live, how we'll split up household chores, how often I'll be able to wrestle the TV remote away from him, and how I'm ever going to cook a meal that he and I will both enjoy. I love thinking about what will happen after we're wed. And this outpour of advice from patients today sent me to that place. :)