love and marriage

Usually, these two words go together like a couple, hand in hand. I have actually come to realize they mean two different things. I believe that love is the heart-thumping, giddy, romantic feeling we have when we meet that person. Love is that feeling of seeing those two meet at the end of the aisle. Love is in the moments of vows, kisses, and beautiful dresses. Marriage, on the other hand is something completely different. It is the day to day life you will build together, knowing that at the end of each day, no matter what happens, someone's got your back.
And every wedding I attend, like funerals, I find they make me reevaluate and analyze my own life and marriage. Here is what I have come up with:
When they say 'Do you take this person for better or for worse, in good times and in bad...' they mean it. On any wedding day, it's impossible to foresee life unfolding with its ups and downs, and know how much those two words will challenge you: I do. Wedding days are very similar to a baby being born. The moment is magical perfection, full of hope, promise, and of course, love. The amount of hard work, dedication and commitment is not brought up. A marriage cannot survive if you can't take that person and still love them on their "worse" days. I used to have a saying when I coached that when a skater took a test, they should be able to pass that test even on their worst day. That's the same with a marriage. You want to still love that person even on their worst days. You must take the good with the bad and accept them, flaws and all. And then you drop to your knees and pray they do the same for you :)
So what it comes down to is this... these words DO belong together. One cannot exist without the other. Without love, there would be no marriage. Some marriages never make it out of the gate because as soon as that giddy feeling is worn off, there is a whole lotta work. Some days are good ones. Some need a little attention. It's life.
I hope you enjoy your day...