Stormeyes Enchanted

Fifteen years. That’s over 5,000 days of love, laughter, challenges, and figuring out life together. Marriage isn’t always easy, but it is worth it. Through everything—the joy, the grief, the chaos of kids, and everything in between—I’ve learned so much about what it truly means to share your life with someone.

Some lessons are deep and life-changing. Others? More like, “Don’t ever eat the last slice of pizza without checking first.” (And especially don’t take that last cookie!) 🤣 Either way, here are 15 things marriage has taught me over the last 15 years.

💜 1. Love is a Choice You Make Every Day

Love is a verb—it is not just a feeling—it’s a daily decision. Some days are full of romance, and other days you are just trying not to strangle each other over who left socks on the floor. 😆 But every day, you wake up and choose each other. You remember who has had your back.

😂 2. If You Want the Last Piece of Something, Hide It Immediately

Marriage is a constant battle between love and food. If there’s one last cookie, one last brownie, or the last slice of pizza, it will cause a serious moral dilemma—do you share, or do you pretend it never existed? (Spoiler: If you want it, HIDE IT.) 🍕😜

💜 3. Your Partner Can’t Read Your Mind (Even If They Should By Now)

Seriously. I thought after this many years, he’d know when I’m mad, why I’m angry, and how to fix it. But nope—communication is everything. If you need something, say it out loud. And I am sad to admit I am probably worse about this now than before the world changed.

😂 4. You Will Have Entire Conversations Using Only Movie Quotes

At some point in marriage, 90% of communication turns into TV and movie quotes. Are you even married if your spouse doesn’t understand the reference? 🤣 (Our most often recited are from Christmas Vacation and Four Christmases.)

💜 5. Grief Changes Love, But It Doesn’t Break It

We have walked through the hardest loss imaginable. And somehow, through all the heartbreak, our love has not only survived—it has grown. Grief changes people and it changes relationships–it changes everything, but if you hold onto each other, love will still find its way through.

😂 6. Snoring is Not Grounds for Divorce, But It Comes Close

I have seriously considered separate bedrooms over the sheer volume of snoring I’ve endured. 😴 Earplugs are your best friend. (As are the extra-squishy pillows for the nights when you just have to hit them with a pillow to make it stop!)

💜 7. There’s No “Winning” in Marriage—It’s Always a Team Effort

Marriage isn’t about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s about figuring it out together. If one person wins, both people lose.

😂 8. “I Don’t Care, You Pick” Is a Trap

If your spouse says, “I don’t care where we eat,” do NOT believe them. The moment you pick something, they will suddenly crave something else. Save yourself the trouble and give at least three options. 🍔🥗🍣

💜 9. Your Partner Sees the Versions of You That No One Else Does

The strong, put-together version. The broken, grieving, falling-apart version. The one in old sweatpants, ugly—crying over a random commercial. And the best part? They love you through all of it. Even when you don’t want them to. Even when they don’t think they want to. 😂

😂 10. You Will Argue About the Most Ridiculous Things

Marriage is one person who is always freezing and one who is always hot. One person wants one brand of toilet paper, and the other wants a different kind. One person wants to vacation at the beach, and one wants to go to the mountains. But when all is said and done, you hug it out and move on.🔥❄️

💜 11. Little Things Matter More Than Big Gestures

Grand gestures are great, but the little things add up over time. Making a cup of coffee, remembering their favorite snack, putting gas in the car, holding their hand when they need it most. Those are the things that build a life together.

😂 12. You Will Never Agree on the “Right Way” to Load the Dishwasher

Apparently, there is a WRONG way (even though I swear my way is terrific). Marriage means accepting that your spouse is irrationally passionate about certain things. 🤣 (Even when they are wrong.)

💜 13. Life Will Test You—But Facing It Together Makes All the Difference

Marriage doesn’t protect you from pain, grief, or struggle. But it does give you someone to hold onto when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

😂 14. Your Spouse Will Embarrass You in Public (And You’ll Do the Same to Them)

If you haven’t had your partner loudly embarrass you in a store, restaurant, or parking lot for fun, are you really even in love? 😂 Oh, how many times I watched my grandpa embarrass my grandma on their late-night grocery runs—I can only imagine what the overnight stockers thought of them running around in the middle of the night.

💜 15. After Everything, Love is Still the Best Thing We Have

Fifteen years of laughter, loss, growing, and learning. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Love isn’t perfect but it is worth it. No matter what we’ve faced, I wouldn’t choose anyone else to go through life with. I know he did not sign up for this life. It is undoubtedly nothing either of us ever imagined. I feel guilty that he is still dealing with a new me, but he is my best friend, and I always need to remember that.💜

💚 Husband – Here’s to 15 Years & a Lifetime More

Fifteen years ago, Shannon and I had no idea what life would throw at us. And yet, here we are. Still standing, still choosing each other, still laughing, still making memories.

Marriage isn’t about perfection—it’s about partnership. And if the last 15 years have taught me anything, it is this: love- even through all of life’s chaos- is worth fighting for.

💜 What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about love? Whether you’ve been married 1 year or 100, I’d love to read your thoughts!