CAN SPOUSES CHANGE?

Milton, here for Kristy:

Marriage is a life of constant adjustment. Problems arise when neither partner is willing to give or one partner pushes the other. Differences are inevitable so successful marriages learn the art of give and take and compromise.

Here is a post Kristy wrote about me back in November of 2006.

Change can happen. It happens best when hearts melt together.

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Kristy, here from November 2006:

Late in the afternoon, Milton popped in our Masterpiece Theatre DVD of Pollyanna. His sisters sprawled in front of the TV with him watching it, and everybody else in the huge great room did too. Pollyanna is a good movie to watch on Thanksgiving.


This version is nearly as good as Anne of Green Gables (though not nearly as long), and the theme is being thankful--"glad," Pollyanna called it. Pollyanna's father was a mission pastor, and he'd requested a doll for Pollyanna in the mission barrel. Instead of a doll, the ladies' aid society sent a pair of crutches. She was disappointed, and he taught her a valuable lesson about being thankful (glad) in the bad or unpleasant times of our lives. "What's there to be glad about getting a pair of crutches?" she asked him. He thought a moment and said, "Well, at least you don't have to use them."

She transformed a whole town with her glad game, even the preacher when he was upset at the ladies for wanting to have Sunday school on Tuesday. He was tempted to preach a vindictive sermon, and Pollyanna "preached" at him instead. She told him the words "Rejoice and be glad" were in the Bible 800 times, and if God said them that many times, then we should be glad in all things.

It's funny about my husband watching Pollyanna. He's become a romantic soul at last. He actually enjoys watching chick flicks with me. He occasionally rents or checks out from the library light love stories for us to watch together such as Pride and Prejudice and other Jane Austen stories, etc. He selects them--him, this football fanatic!

And every time Ever After comes on TV, he watches it all the way through. Jennifer, our daughter, chuckled about that the other day when I was in Puerto Rico with her--how many times Milton's seen Ever After.

So if you're in a mode in your marriage where you wonder if you and your husband will ever have anything in common, take heart. There's a melding and melting of hearts as time passes, and it's refreshing.

Watching chick flicks is just one thing we've come to enjoy together. There are lots of others. We love to visit museums and historic churches, and we enjoy biking and walking together, and we love picnics, especially on the beach which is nearby, and...

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How is Kristy?

She had a sleepy Thursday and moderate pain. We have had to adjust her meds some. She is in good spirits and we are trusting in God's loving care.