Grudging Love....[ Bri's Marriage, Honestly; Peculiar? ]

Grudging Love....[ Bri's Marriage; Honestly; Peculiar? ] In Two Thousand And Seven I met my 4th wife online..... though I didn't know that (we'd end up married) at that time. I THOUGHT she lived 'nearby', in a prime location; I soon learned, alas, that she lived way across our nation! Within six months I'd moved West, by plane, to live with her. Recently-retired and doing fine 'alone', some were unsure.... that I was making a wise move, 'some' referring to some friends. Fifteen (15) years later, my 4th marriage still wends..... ...its way to wherever it may be destined to go, BUT..... (at times) our union may seem a boxing match, blow for blow, ...with UPS [ NOT the delivery service ] & DOWNS. Through MY eyes, at times, WE (esp. SHE) act like CLOWNS. She speaks/thinks/acts 'one way'; I speak/act/think another. I counsel her like I'm 'Dad'; she scolds me like 'Mother'. Some days a coolness descends in our midst, a 'standoff'. Our mouths, for hours, utter few sounds but a sigh or cough. Inexplicably, by day's end, each of us........is alive. I sometimes even feel our differences CAUSE US to thrive! NO, it's NOT our differences, and not 'God above'..... which keep our marriage afloat; it's.....OUR grudging love! (December 9th, 2022)