The Taste of Compromise

Ice cream: You met each other through friends, fell in love, and now you’re inseparable. After spending so much time together, you realize that while you have things in common, there are certain aspects of your lives that you don’t exactly see eye to eye. Before you two met, you were the party girl, always at the bar laughing it up with your friends, always up for a good time. Your boyfriend on the other hand is more of a homebody. While he doesn’t mind a night out with his buddies once in a while, he’d rather sit at home and shoot enemies with online strangers. The compromise? Why not have one weekend a month that’s dedicated to “us” time. If you’re okay with staying indoors, snuggle up on the couch with some ice cream and have a movie marathon. If you need to be out and about, why not look up some nearby outdoor theaters to bring a picnic to.

White vs. Dark meat: You’ve been together for a while and now its time for your first big holiday as a couple. You each have your individual traditions (you spend Thanksgiving in the house where you grew up while he alternates between his sister and brother’s homes). But now that you’re together, who goes where? You don’t want to celebrate your first holiday apart but you don’t want to have to pick one family over the other. The compromise? If you haven’t been together that long, you may want to celebrate this time apart, especially if it will be the first time you’re meeting each others families. However, if you are really set on being together, why not start your own traditions by inviting a few friends over for dinner?

Angels vs. Devil’s food cake: When it comes to your wedding, unless your husband-to-be and his groomsmen have been planning their outfits since their first frat brother got married, you can usually get away with calling the shots. However, when it comes to your marriage, you’re going to have to (or at least learn to) compromise. Not on everything (you want to keep working, he wants you to be a stay at home mom), but on certain things like how many kids you want to have (he wants 5, you want 3) or when you want to purchase your first home together.

Just remember: life is all about compromise AND don’t get crazy, compromising doesn’t mean settling.