Nothing like two old people who have been married for 52 years trying to paint a small bathroom, covering yellow with an off-white. He can’t bend well, so I’ve got the low parts, although he needs to help me up. He’s trying to finagle a ladder around the commode and shower and vanity, while I hold the roller pan as he paints the ceiling. He’s got cataracts so he can’t see what he’s missed, and my eyes are blurry from low blood pressure so I’m squinting while trying to get around doorframes and baseboards. After it dried, it was evident that off-white does not cover yellow very well, so we had to do it all over again.
Of course, all this has made us a bit testy with each other, especially as I point to the places he missed, and he lets me know about the places I dripped paint where it should not be.
I have read all those lovely articles about people who have been marred a long time who say they have never fought or argued. I bet they have never had to paint a small bathroom together either. I love my husband. We’ve been together for 52 years, but I will never be able to look back and say we never fought or argued. We are strong, stubborn people with our own opinions and ways and often that creates conflict.
But we made a vow that contained the words “until death do us part.” Solomon mentions in Ecclesiastes 5:5 that “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” He was referring to a vow made to God, but I don’t think I’m mishandling Scripture by applying that thought to vows made to others also.
It hasn’t always been easy, in fact, it’s seldom been easy. There have been tears and regrets. But we’ve made it this far so I think we might make it to the finish line. That is, if we don’t have to paint another small bathroom together.
