Mr. McMasters and I have been married for 100 days. There have been some tears, some stress, some come to Jesus moments. There have been far more smiles and hugs and jokes popping up through a mostly peaceful state of existence. I am so pleased that we made the right decision to be together almost 3 years ago, and again on July 15. I often tell Mike that I just don't know what I'd do without him now. I'm hooked. Luckily he says that I don't need to know because he's always going to be here.
In our first 100 days, we've made some agreements, passed some house legislation and drawn some blueprints for a brighter tomorrow, and freedom for all people. I now know what it's like to live with a man I'm not related to. I've learned how much space each of us needs to just do nothing and not "be" with the other person. We are no longer guests in each others' houses, so it's okay to do everyday things while the other person is around. This also creates a need to be intentional about sharing time together doing something we both like - non-everyday things.
We've done some new things together, like float tube fly fishing. And we've done some old things together, like watch TV shows on DVD and eat ice cream. We're learning how to make a fire that stays burning in the fireplace. We're caring for chickens that we love as pets. We've had to organize our living space together and figure out who cleans the bathrooms and when. We're starting a business together and brainstorming on how it should be and how to make it successful.
We're able to work through most things through good communication and honesty. The challenges have been mostly surrounding work. In 2000 Bellingham's median yearly income was $37,990, versus Seattle which was $45,736. Mike works so hard at his job, and I've been looking for work too. I apply for several jobs a week, and I'm not getting any calls at all. It's been harder for me than I thought to feel like I'm contributing. We need more money, especially if we ever want to buy a home or save for our retirement. So we talk and encourage and dream big about the business. One of us is able to make the other feel better, and we are just accepting that we're in a tough place and we have to be patient and fight our way through.
The polling data isn't in yet about whether or not our approval ratings are up or down. In house, we feel like things are very good and we've got a bright future together, doing something meaningful and being able to afford health insurance. Everyday so far we've re-elected to be together. Not bad for 100 days.
