Random: My Most Difficult Challenge

I would have to say that getting married and starting a family was the most difficult challenge I had ever faced. Prior to my wife, I have never been in a relationship before. I was selfish with my time. I worked, exercised, and lived life. I would go where I wanted to go, when I wanted to go, for however long I wanted. I was free. Then one day at work, I met the most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on. Someone, who after talking to, I knew I wanted in my life. We went out a few times and eventually started dating. Next thing I knew, two years had flown by, we were engaged.

Now, some married men around me tried to explain how my life will change. How I will have to learn patience. That I would have to learn compromise. Of course, I knew it all. I told them I have patience. I know how to compromise. We married shortly after and moved in together. Now this was something new to me. I had two brothers growing up. My poor mom was surrounded by boys. Before marriage, I never understood the struggles a woman goes through to get ready. I never knew how much it took for that beautiful wife of mine to get herself ready just to go out on a date with me. I had to learn patience in a whole new way. I had to learn compromise in a whole new way.

Then we had kids. Now, once again I had to learn compromise and patience again in a whole new way. We had our struggles and our arguments and I had to bite my tongue, a lot. I apologized more than I have ever apologized in my life. Guess I didn’t know it all, even when I was right. Suddenly, everything that those married men once told me all started to make sense.

Learning this patience was a virtue. It helped me to succeed as a student and apply it to learning, realizing I don’t know it all but I hope to.