Reflections on Marriage: Coffee Cup Edition

In all relationships, not just marriage, there are unspoken "rules."  Well I broke the "don't use my coffee cup" rule last night and I knew better. Marriage is about sharing your life with another.  Married people usually share money, kids, a home, a name and their worldly possessions.   In this house, there is one thing that absolutely not shared:  the coffee mug. 

Let me explain. I simply wanted a cup of tea.  After the tea kettle started  screeching, I reached into the cupboard and pulled out the first cup I touched.  It was Matt's coffee mug. 

 This one.

I knew I should have just put it back and got another, and trust me when I tell you that  there is no cup/mug shortage in our house and I am aware that would have been the considerate thing to do.  However, I did not want to expend the energy it would take to lift my arm and put the mug back in the cabinet.

So anyway, I thought I would just casually set the cup on the coffee table and he would not notice right?

He did notice.  He asked "umm, what are you doing?"

Me:  "about what?"

Him:  "why are you using that cup?"

Me: "oh I did not notice I was using your cup."

Him:  "did you notice there are scratches on the bottom, inside the cup."

Me: "that is caused by you stirring your creamer."

Him: "I don't use a spoon"

Me:  "Hey, is this a new 30 Rock or a repeat?"

Oh well. This is a classic example of the mundane things that you have to consider in a relationship: Respect each others' stuff.  R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  No big deal, right?

Of course not. However, it would be a monumental deal, if he ever used this mug.

Hands off pal.

He is too considerate to do such a thing.



Chase has his own mug as well, but he is not as addicted committed  to coffee as we are,  and probably wouldn't care if anyone used his mug for a cup o' tea.

Chase's mug

Chase went to a hippy kindergarten in Boulder.  His class put on a Rainforest Production in which he portrayed a Tony-worthy tree frog.  It was seriously all we talked about for weeks.

There he is left of the baboon?

"Red-eyed tree frog" became a code word we used for years. That explains his mug. What is my point?  Well, duh,  that my son was a cute kindergartner. Oh and whoever said "don't sweat the small stuff" has, obviously,  never shared a house with another human being.