I have always seen marriage as a 50 year game. Pretty much like a 50 over cricket match.
Here are some things Seema and me have learned about marriage over the last 22 years. (explained in cricket terminology!)

1) The first few overs don’t define a 50 over game. You can bounce back from the initial setbacks. For Seema and me too the first few years were tough. But we were patient and built a partnership. We didn’t throw our wickets away.
Cricket, marriage and life are all first games of patience and then games of skill.

2) Your success in the game depends on how YOU play, not on how your partner plays. Have you ever heard Sachin saying, “I got out early because Viru played badly!” 🙄
Focus on what kind of partner YOU are being. Be extraordinary in YOUR game.

3) Your everyday life with your partner is like the running between wickets. You need to have good understanding. But good understanding doesn’t happen overnight. You have to work on it, even if your partner isn’t doing so.
But that’s not fair, you might say.
You’re right. It’s not. But life is not fair. It never was. Life is not fair, but it is good, and that’s what matters.

4) The environment you live in, your job, your extended family – they are like the pitch you bat on. Sometimes the pitch is a dream to bat on, sometimes the pitch is a pain in the backside.
Sometimes your job and your in-laws are just the perfect environment for your marriage to flourish, sometimes they seem to be the reason your marriage is failing.
Your batting has to be independent of the pitch. You have to be able to bat well on any kind of pitch, under any kind of circumstances, in any kind of weather. You have to become so awesome as a spouse, your marriage flourishes under any economic conditions and despite any drama that goes on around you.

5) You have to believe that you and your partner are a perfect team. Even if you are not. If you believe you are, you will be!
If your partner is driving you nuts, learn to adapt to your partner. If you continue to resist your partner, there’s a good chance you’ll get run out.

Here’s wishing us a Happy Anniversary and you all a great 50 over game!