The Seven Year (sw)Itch
Posted 9th January, 2008 in by Andrea
No, I'm not trading in my husband. But, for those of you who have made it to that 7-year mark in your marriage, you'll know what I'm talking about here.
Remember all those beautiful gifts you received as wedding gifts? Dazzling dishes, glimmering glasses, pristine pots and pans, sparkling silverware, gorgeous gadgets...you know, all the cool kitchen stuff that you couldn't afford to buy on your own?
My advice to new married couples: Enjoy how perfect all those things look in your first few years of marriage. Because one day (I estimate 5-7 years), you'll take them out of the cabinet and realize that what once was so pretty is now old, scratched, chipped, cracked, and crumbling. And this time around, you'll have to buy the replacements yourself!
We have a pot lid that is hanging by a thread...literally---a threaded screw is holding it together, barely. I think it's time we retire it from active duty. To it's credit, it has been used nearly everyday for the past 7 years. I suppose that's pretty impressive.
And I'm the first to admit that our mis-matched collection of tall glasses is almost entirely my fault. 
This is actually the 3rd or 4th round of glasses we've had to buy because I keep dropping them and breaking them! Our short glass collection however, keeps growing, because apparently you can't buy just tall glasses without the short ones too. So, if you come to our house and your drink is served in a small glass, you'll know why. Don't worry, we give free refills.
This is actually the 3rd or 4th round of glasses we've had to buy because I keep dropping them and breaking them! Our short glass collection however, keeps growing, because apparently you can't buy just tall glasses without the short ones too. So, if you come to our house and your drink is served in a small glass, you'll know why. Don't worry, we give free refills.
We are also on our third set of plates and bowls since we got married. We bought this round a few months ago and we're hoping they'll last us a little longer than the last set, which we only kept about a year and a half. Thankfully, they were cheap! Then again, maybe that was the problem.....
The moral of my story is to remember that all this is just stuff and even though it might be as old as you've been married, it's condition doesn't have to represent your marriage. Or maybe in a way it does...the evolution of it. Instead of starting over with a new mate (as many do nowadays), just be sure to choose the next set of dishes together, and you should carry on just fine....we have anyway!
3 comments so far:
Prlinehan said:
We have the same deal. For the past 2 christmases and birthdays I've been getting new kitchen stuff. What I really want to splurge on someday is new everyday dishes. We are still eating off the Corelle that Dennis's parents AND grandparents used (we have a double set). Those suckers refuse to break. Really. If you drop them, they usually bounce. I don't know, though, your countertop might do them in...mind if I come over? :) Just kidding. Someday we will pack the ugly suckers away and get new ones.
mariahcharles said:
Everytime I go to a wedding I check out the registry and am envious! Why didn't I wait until later in life to get married, that way I could register for really really nice stuff to replace the nice stuff that I had already bought? I guess no matter what, you just get that one free set!?
My husband is a bull in a china shop when it comes to my dishes! He even broke a set of bowls that I got for Christmas before I was even able to use them and has broken 3 bowls of my fairly nice set of dishes (that are discontinued!). We're starting to get that mismatched stuff too- I hate the small glasses, the really linger for ever and ever!
acmickelson said:
How interesting...I too have been switching out a lot of my old pots, pans, glasses, coffee mugs, etc. because it was either falling apart or just plain ugly. Also, I just refuse to move anything I hate to a new house. Have fun with your replacment process - and I'm glad you're keeping Ben.
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