In this post I want to highlight some of the major transitions that happen in the first bit of marriage.
Name change-- Its a big deal. I remember when I first got married it was hard to get used to being a Nickle and not a Smith anymore. At first I think I had an identity crisis. As time went on it got easier, and I really found having a new name liberating.
Your finances are merged-- No longer do you have your money and his money. It becomes 'our' money. You have to plan for 2 people to go to the movies, 2 people to shop for at the grocery store..and so on.
New habits of spouse--This is probably by far my favorite transition. We talked in our class on how different sleeping habits can make the first bit of marriage hard. Like there were some couples that had troubles sharing blankets or the bed. Sharing the bed is a big deal, for the first few night it was a little strange getting used to sharing a bed with another person-- especially since that other person was the opposite sex!
You learn how they deal with challenges--Everyone deals with stress differently and when you just get married it can be a shocker how your spouse deals with stress. One way you can make this transition easier is to see your spouse :angry, sad, stressed, and happy. Then when your spouse is stressed out, then you can learn how to deal with it, without being shocked.
Word of advice: before you get married communication is your best friend. You cant know how everything will pan out in your marriage, but you can plan possible solutions to possible problems. There are millions of books like: '300 questions to ask before you get married', and they really help.
In the next post I will discuss the biggest transition of marriage: Sex.
Its not as scary or awkward as you think..although it was funny to see Brother Williams blush when he was discussing this topic.
