Marriage – the facts you need to know - 36
· You need to know that when he actually does clean the house, he wants to be praised like he's coming home from battle.
· You need to know if someone feels like they're doing all the work in a marriage, the marriage is in trouble.
· You need to know a dishwasher isn't a birthday gift. It's an appliance.
· You need to know that every family has issues. Even if everything looks perfectly wonderful from the outside.
· You need to know that marriage fundamentally changes your relationship with your parents.
· You need to know your husband's ideas are now more important than your mom's.
· You need to know you have to get along with her family even though she's told you her father was abusive and her mother hears voices. Happy Thanksgiving.
· You need to know to not let parents buy you too many gifts. They usually come with strings. And guilt.
· You need to know you shouldn't try and change your wife because your parents believe she could use some improvement.
· You need to know your own family, no matter what you think, teeters on mental instability.
· You need to know your mother-in-law will give you some really screwy gifts. Thank her warmly and re-gift them to your cousin's neighbor's housesitter.
· You need to know you now have to schedule who you'll have holiday meals with. And that might mean two Thanksgiving dinners in six hours.
· You need to know she probably doesn't want to be compared to her mother. Compare her to Attila the Hun. Compare her to the plague. Just leave out her mother.
· You need to know to stay out of family feuds. You'll be seeing these same people during the holidays, and they'll remember that you yelled at them.
· You need to know that if his mom is an addict, your marriage will be that much more interesting.
· You need to know that if you're marrying someone whose parents are practicing alcoholics, chances are strong something is off the rails in your family too.
· You need to know to send your mother-in-law flowers every now and then. Untold benefits.
· You need to know to not tell your mom about every fight. You'll get over it and make up. She won't.
· You need to know you'll have to be strong enough to tell your dad to butt out. Your spouse is the most important person in your life now.
· You need to know your parents don't mean to get in the way. They think they're helping.
