Pairs

I don’t usually think about socks. Until I bought some bad socks. Very uncomfortable. I could hardly walk in them.

Einstein didn’t wear socks. On the strength of that recommendation, I stopped wearing them one summer.  After two weeks I had to throw my shoes out.  Einstein had a great brain but must have had permanently blocked sinuses. You forget the benefits such humble and common objects as socks bring to life.

Socks once made me think. I stood by my narrow bachelor bed and it  was covered with 27 unmatched socks, not one of them with a partner. “Listen guys”, I said to the socks, “I know how you feel. We’ve got to get married.”

I married, for that and for much better reasons, and after 26 years my marriage is now as comfortable as old socks. My wife does not demand much of my attention; our marriage doesn’t seem to require much maintenance. With comfort comes the danger of complacency. I never think about my socks unless I have bad socks or no socks, and then I realise how important they are. The risk is I might never think about my marriage either until things turn drastically bad.

If you’re part of a pair, realise that it is incredibly valuable. Even if it’s comfortable at the moment, put some effort into your relationship. As a parenting organisation, if you’re parenting as a team , the best thing you can do for your kids is love their mum or dad.

For more, check out theparentingplace.com