When you heap too much credit on your spouse, it often means you are forcing it. As Shakespeare said in Hamlet, Act 3 scene 2, he “Protesteth too much, me thinks.”
A person who reads the essays I write suggested as much in my last essay. I think there is more than a thimble full of truth to what she suggests.
I admit I give my wife a lot of kudos. Too many? Maybe. Am I hiding something? Maybe.
High school branded me for life. It was a breakout time for me in many ways, but also a time of personal sensitivity. I ran for student body office: I won once, but lost twice. As you can imagine, I took it personally. It hurt me.
Plus, at the time, clubs and fraternities were a big thing in high school. I was in one of them, but not the one I thought I should have been in. Again, I took it personally. VERY PERSONALLY.
So I attended two years of college, and went to Argentina for two years as a Mormon missionary. I returned home to finish college, and hopefully to find someone to marry.
As for the marriage part, I did not want to marry someone who didn’t make up for my losses in high school. Fortunately, I found one.
I married her and never looked back.
Eventually, she brought it to my attention. While she appreciated all the compliments I was giving her, nevertheless she suggested I could pull back a bit.
Then she asked me if there was some reason I was doing this? I mustered enough nerve to say “Yes.” I told her my story. Her reaction? She thanked me for sharing. “It must have taken courage to share that.” In the next breath she said, “ I don’t think it’s necessary to do it so frequently, do you?”
Moral of this story? Everyone has little secrets they think they’re hiding. But, we all protesteth too much, me thinks.