You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

I thought this was an interesting article w/ some grains of truth. I love being married to my hubby, but I do understand the reminiscing over lost youth. When you’re married you’re married… like the aunties and bhabi’s, and suddenly, you’re one of THEM as well, though somehow, you never thought you would be. So for all those ladies who make fun of the aunties, just know, you’ll be one of them too one day. Try not to be too back-stabbing. :slight_smile: But till then, enjoy your youth.

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The Unexpectedly Sucky Parts of Newlywed Life**

            By: [The Frisky](http://www.divinecaroline.com/user/profile/112322)         ([View Profile](http://www.divinecaroline.com/user/profile/112322))       
            The first year of marriage is the hardest, I’d been told many times by my friends. While I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for the uncertain road that lay ahead, I certainly felt like I’d gotten fair warning and couldn’t expect to be surprised by the challenges that would come once I entered marriage. Once the wedding is over, it’s the two of you, making a life together, and that’s not easy for anyone.

So, I felt ready to encounter squabbles and misunderstandings and the taking-for-granted that comes when you know someone really well and expect to be around them for a long time. When something came up, I could tell myself, “Okay, this is normal.”

But there were some other parts of newlywed life that bummed me out, stuff that I never thought would have mattered to me … until it did.

The Depression
I was so focused on my wedding that once it passed, I felt lost. There was no focal point on the horizon anymore. This panicked me. Was I incapable of being at peace in my new life, or was I going to feel restless and upset forever without having something major to look forward to? Getting up, getting dressed, and going to work felt so blah, especially as fall turned into winter and the days grew darker. I hated this funk because it seemed like such a cliché. I’d heard that brides feel let down after their weddings, and I’d always thought that sounded like a symptom of spoiled princess disease. “Waah, your wedding’s over, people aren’t looking at you anymore, waaah.” Since I’d told myself it wouldn’t happen to me, I felt like a jerk when it did. Nothing makes a depressed person feel worse than thinking, “My depression is so stupid.” Then I’d feel bad for feeling sad, since Steve deserved a happy new wife, not a scowling crab, and I’d feel worse. “I just want you to be happy,” he’d say, and I’d want to cry.

The Identity Crisis
I couldn’t help but feel—well, there’s no other way to say it than this—old and irrelevant. I was MARRIED. Not that I’d been famous for my clubbing days or renowned for hooking up with lots of single men, but this meant that even the possibility of all that was over. Officially, I was no longer a mademoiselle. I was married. Like my mom.

Maybe I had a problem with admitting that I’m irrevocably a woman, not a girl anymore. I’m not trying to sound like Britney Spears, trust me, but I felt like the end of girlhood meant the end of potential, possibilities, spontaneity. It meant I was out of the system. Never cool again (was I ever to begin with?). Nothing to look forward to other than wrinkles, my parents getting old, babies, and messes.

Who was I? I was no longer eligible. I’m was no longer dreaming of that big finale. Everything felt different, and yet not.

      **Lost Friends**

I’m not sure why, but there was a handful of friends who fell off the face of the earth after I invited them to my wedding. After chasing down their negative RSVP’s, I never heard from them again. Maybe they were embarrassed about not being able to afford to fly out for the wedding, but I couldn’t understand why that wouldn’t merit an email, “Hi, how are you?” A Facebook poke. Something. I’m probably reading too much into it, but I got a “She’s just not that into you vibe” from the whole situation. I overstepped the bounds of our friendship by inviting them; now the friendship was DOA.

The Fatness
I was ready to let myself go a bit after the wedding. After all, in the weeks leading up to it, I’d been going to the gym seven days a week, working with a trainer on three of those days, tanning, getting facials, whitening my teeth. I was more than willing to surrender some of those tasks. It took longer than I’d anticipated to even want to start really taking care of myself again, and then it was spurred on by my clothes getting a little tight, which, of course, made me feel down. We need a pudgy depressed wife in aisle one, please.

The Things That Aren’t So Fun to Pay For Once It’s All Said and Done
It cost me $400 to get my gown cleaned (and I’m talking cleaned, not preserved), and more than I’d care to admit to get an album of the photos made. When you’re swept up in the wedding madness, things like hair and makeup and facials all seem totally natural and necessary to pay for, but once the day has passed, it hurts to continue to pony up. Yes, I know I could have done these things more cheaply, but I didn’t.

Now, a little over three months later, I feel better about all this stuff. Heading to someone else’s wedding, attaining a degree of professional fulfillment, and getting through the holidays helped shake me out of the funk, as did hanging out with my good friends (which I didn’t have time to do much of before the wedding). They reminded me that I’m the same girl … er, woman I was a year ago, but with an extra ring on my finger. I got a new kick-ass, encouraging personal trainer, and I’m starting to realize that I wasn’t talking to those old friends that much before the wedding to begin with, and apparently, they have lives of their own. Who knew?

Had I known more about the post-wedding blues, I still might not have been able to stave them off, but if I’d known that was normal, I might have cut myself some slack.

*By Claire Zulkey of *The Frisky](http://www.thefrisky.com/)
The Unexpectedly Sucky Parts of Newlywed Life

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

Excellent article/post.

Everyone tells you that life will be different after the wedding but you dont just know it until you actually are there. Doesn't matter how well prepared you are. There's a reason they say the 1st year is the hardest.

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

oh wow, how true is this! I can totally related to most of what she's saying..totally..9 months and going.

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

Interesting...

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

3 years and still going.. lol :)

totally understand.

There are a lot more issues that come about.. even after the 1st year. But it's all a very educating experience, not to mention one of love, understanding and communication.

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

i;m scared now

^ Don't be scared! I had the most wonderful first year...I totally enjoyed it and it passed like a breeze...

I do agree to the article that things change alot....but life is all about change, isnt it?...I personally LOVE change...

I moved from Canada to UK....and I pretty much have no relatives here..but just the two of us had so much fun together that I think it was one of the best years of my life mashaAllah....:)

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

Marriage is a bliss Alhumdullilah - you have your ups and downs but as long as you have a caring partner behind you all the way, you can sort anything out!!

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

Take charge of your destiny, people!

Well i think marriage is like a gamble,some people are lucky n they win n some people are unlucky n they lose.

At this stage,donot know whats the actual reason but i have started hating marriages ,really.

I find it an uphill task to handle

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

thanks for the thread syaniii it helped me a lottttttt :)

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

It's also a lot about expectations, and the willingness of each party to compromise, work together, and see the other person's point of view. If you can work that out, you've got a good thing. You don't have to like all the same things, but you have to have respect, space to be your own person, and yet closeness.

The posting isn't meant to scare anyone. More as a reminder that marriage is not a bed of rose petals only. It has a lot of downs, particularly when there is financial stress, as this economy is putting on a lot of couples. Have trust, honesty, openness, and divide up the household chores (neither of you are maids - those of you who don't have to worry about household chores, I envy you) and things will smooth themselves out.

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

hahaahah ohh my gosh, great article..sounds like something id write after marriage

aww mashallah alishaht thats cute! i cant imagine moving to an unknown land lol

Re: You're Married - Now Here's the Reality

this article is soo true! i can completely relate to it, its amazing how us girls get so caught up in wedding preps that we dont give a second thought to how life will be afterwards.

I remember being really down in the beginning even though i love my husband to bits & he makes me so happy, a part of me felt so i down because so much had changed but alhamdulilah with time things get better...

thanks for sharing the article- good to know it wasnt just me! :)