Treasure Hunt - Marriage

I found this tiny bride and groom at a yardsale last weekend.

With only one dollar bill and some change in my pocket, I was happy to find  

a few treasures to take home. The homeowner tucked this clingy pair in a tiny 

cigar box, and they made the ride home without incident.

Right away, I took them to the kitchen sink for a gentle washing.

The worst of the dust and grime came off with a damp cloth, but the hem 
of the bride's gown would not come completely clean. 

There wasn't anything to be done about their hair - it's just worn away.

And they both have some lumps in unflattering places.

In fact, the more closely you examine this couple, the more flaws become evident -

those lips ... the hands ... some pretty smug eyebrow action ...

Give too much attention to these detracting details, and
you'll miss the really good stuff :

Closeness 

Don't you just want to stare, and drink in the quiet intimacy of their proximity?
She tucks her hand into the small triangle of his arm, 
and he crooks his arm to hold it securely to his side. 
They lean toward each other instead of away,
 allowing selective magnetism to draw them closer. 
In light of this, her nose blob seems much smaller, doesn't it?

Perseverance 
 Clearly they've been a couple for a long, long time.
All the evidence points to the fact that they've been used, maybe many times.
According to the layers of dirt (mold?), they spent some years in the basement.
There's no doubt that they're mostly unappreciated, 
 unpopular, even among those they've served in the past.
Available for pocket change, right next to random Tupperware lids.

 But they are still together. 
Together at the wedding celebrations.
Together during the dark basement years. 
Together on the discard table.
Don't muddy hems and awkward trousers seem completely 
beside the point now?

Determination 
Look at their faces again - 
 those are game-faces if I've ever seen any. 
They take their marriage seriously and seem to know that their relationship
 is worth fighting for; worth the courage it takes to go the distance.
Perhaps the smug eyebrow this groom wears is not one of arrogance, 
but more along the lines of,  "Bring it on!"

When confronted with such a heroic expression, 
concerns about hair-or the lack of it-disappear.
Poof!

The conclusion of my  kitchen sink thoughts, for what it's worth:

In the micro-examination of negative, often trivial details, the most 

valuable features of a mature marriage are often overlooked.
 Disappointments take center stage while treasures 
 go unnoticed and unappreciated.

***

Tools for further thought HERE.