Have y'all heard that saying about placing jellybeans in a jar during your first year of marriage every time you have sex? (whoa...Lipstick just mentioned sex in the first sentence!) It is a little adage about how newlyweds are SO passionate in their first year of marriage that the number of jellybeans accumulated in the first year outweighs all other years combined.
Well, Mr. Lipstick and I could say the same thing about arguments. Big ones. Little ones. Explosive ones. Petty ones. Valid ones. Historical ones. The kind in which you forget what you were fighting about in the first place. The kind in which you fight about the same thing over and over.
Eventually though, I grew up and Mr. Lipstick grew more relaxed. We grew together. We became US. It was a hard fought and hard won battle. Very well worth it. We have now been married for twelve years and probably one of the best lessons we ever learned was from Mr. Lipstick's grandmother.
We were gathered in a hotel room preparing for Mr. Lipstick's sister's wedding. The normal amount of pre-wedding chaos was in progress and it was nurtured by a mini-family reunion in a micro-hotel room. Mr. Lipstick's grandmother needed some pantyhose. Several family members were going to a store to escape the chaos...er, run the errand. There were detailed instructions about the size and color of the pantyhose, but the greatest emphasis was the following admonition: "make sure they are not control top pantyhose because I don't wear control top pantyhose."
All family members nodded in understanding. For some reason completely unknown to me, the conversation continued. Size and color were discussed again. The height/weight chart on the back of the pantyhose box was thoroughly analyzed. An agreement was reached, but Mr. Lipstick's grandmother randomly and loudly said, "but I don't wear control top pantyhose!"
Because Mr. Lipstick's grandmother seemed to be experiencing some enduring confusion regarding the chart on the back of the pantyhose box, the discussion persisted. I looked for an escape. Finding none, I continued to listen. No one mentioned the words "control top," yet Mr. Lipstick's very spirited grandmother yelled at all of us, "BUT I DON'T WEAR CONTROL TOP PANTYHOSE!!!"
I swear in a court of law this conversation continued and the aforementioned phrase was barked a few more times. It was so damn funny that we still laugh about it.
If Mr. Lipstick and I can't agree or we can't seem to get one another to even comprehend the other's point of view, well, what do you think we say? "But I don't wear control top pantyhose!!!" We can't help but laugh. Too bad we didn't find out about her pantyhose sooner because it sure would have saved us some broken dishes.
10 comments:
Sweetie,
Back to my last comment. Lipstick-Land is more fun and cheaper than therapy.
Everyone listen up: this is advice to take to the bank, as my generation would say.
Mommy Lipstick
I love this!
This is great. Developing your own language. Key.
I love Lipstick Land! It's so real, there is no make-believe! Your children will have the greatest stories to tell someday! Has anyone ever approached you about writing a book? You already have the most fabulous title...I'll do the illustration! I can remember word-for-word details about a story of yours,that I read over the summer(child gate),yes they are that memorable.
xo Lisa
I love it....:)
Love this post!!! I want to adopt the phrase myself!
What a great story! I think all couples need something like this to keep the humor in life, even when we fight!
My mother told me the same thing about the jelly beans, only she said to use change in one of those huge beer bottle piggy banks. Hilarious, I know! I don't think we're going to do that, yet it might be a good way to save for a rainy day! LOL!
Lisa...thank you so much for your kind comment. I would *love* to write a book, but to have you illustrate it- oh my! now that would be divine.
Our phrase to make us laugh is adopted from the show "The Office." We'll blurt out "That's what she said...." It can make the most simple thing become hysterical.
ah, those early fights! Which evolve into much more brief and easily forgotten little battles! this past weekend I was so grumpy it was fighting or laughing pretty much non-stop.
I love the pantyhose line!
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