It's early days

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When I say I’m a newlywed, one of the most common phrases I hear is “it’s early days.” I get a lot of knowing looks and the first remarks are followed by “you don’t know what married life is truly like.” It makes me think back to my engagement days, when my excitement seemed to surprise everyone. I literally glowed with joy (and still do) whenever I mentioned Robert and our wedding bliss. I expected a lot of people to be familiar with a glowing bride-to-be, but instead my anticipation was treated like a rarity. I still break into a huge smile whenever I mention my newly married status, and while I know it’s early days, I can’t imagine my excitement about being Mrs. Ryberg ever changing.

I suppose with marriages like Kim Kardshian’s making headlines, it’s hard to believe that love can last forever. Even in our everyday lives, divorce is a common occurrence. As much of a romantic as I am, I don’t have any personal examples of lasting love; however, I’ve always hoped I’d find the right man. I’m sure it was all the Disney movies and romantic novels that did it for me, but even when I went through the toughest relationships, I never stopped believing my own Mr. Darcy would come along. I was so determined, that my matron of honor made a point of mentioning my steadfast faith in her speech.

Now I’ve found Robert and our relationship feels even better than I imagined. I’ve never lost that rush of excitement that comes from being together! We’ve been through a lot, particularly during the early days of our marriage: we’ve both been jobless, we’ve lived at home with my parents, and we’ve struggled with our finances. There have also been plenty of un-romantic moments for us both, like the weekends I get brushed off for the Xbox or all the times my unknown illness has left me glued to the couch for days. During those moments Robert and I don’t get as much time to bond, but we always make the time to reconnect later on. The point is, there have been several moments that could have destroyed our newly married buzz. Instead of giving into them, we only became a stronger couple.

I’m not naïve about our future and I know I still have a lot to learn about married life. I know that being a newlywed comes with a fresh pair of rose-coloured glasses (no matter how long you dated before the big day). At the same time, I do believe that happily ever after still exists. I’m sure the future will bring a lot of ugly surprises our way, but after seeing the way we handled the struggles of our early days, I’m looking forward to discovering what else married life has in store.

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