Why Airbenders & Chinese Food are Blessing My Marriage

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Flashback to 2006. I'm a junior high kid that rides the bus. I'm blessed with a tight-knit group of friends, and we do all the things that 2000's era tween girls do--pass notes to each other in the hallways, share ear-buds while listening to Weezer and Avril Levine on our MP3players, chomp on Orbit gum while giggling over our latest crushes, play Vampire and Kick-the-can during night games, and hot tub followed by caramel popcorn and watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl while fawning over Orlando Bloom. But one of the pop-culture items I DID NOT participate in as a tween was watching & discussing the Nickelodeon hit show "Avatar: The Last Airbender." I have vivid memories of my dear friends Noelle Crandall and Shanelle Winkel geeking out over Aang, Appa, Zuko, Jet, and the rest of the gang in the show. I watched a few snippets of episodes here and there while socializing with friends, and I even attended Noelle's party for the finale episode. But some unnecessarily rebellious part of me had to fill that stupid, quintessential coming-of-age need to be "different" than my peers... and I decided to detest Airbending-lore and everything that went with it.

Eight years later... Fall 2014. I meet the love of my life, Kevin Johnson. He's just finished watching the show for the first time with his buddy, Bryant. Kevin tells me on several occasions over the next four and a half years how interesting Avatar: The Last Airbender is, and that tween rebel in me reemerges to pull back on her angsty shoes and resist every attempt he makes to watch it. 

I'm not sure what finally got me to cave--maybe it was the fact that Kevin devoted a surfeit of hours watching The Great British Baking Show with me last summer--but two weeks ago, I snuggled up to him while we watched Katara and Sokka meander around the south pole. 

And now, guys, I'm hooked. We're halfway through the second book and loving it. The character development, the balance between serious dialogue and goofy banter, the complexities of the four nations and their histories... it's fascinating.

So, what does this have to do with marriage? 

A couple things.

1) There are things my husband enjoys that I may be averse to. Whether or not I enjoy what he enjoys, I grow closer to my husband by devoting time investing in understanding his interests and spending time with him doing them. Previous to my marriage to Kevin, I have always disliked Chinese food. Nowadays I find myself craving egg drop soup, wontons, and orange chicken. While there are some Chinese delicacies I still detest (aka sweet & sour soup... yuck!) at least I'm giving it a shot, because my husband loves it, and he can see and feel the effort I'm putting in. Some Chinese restaurants we love? Joy Luck restaurant in Bountiful, UT and Chinese Express in Santaquin, UT. 
2) Spending time with your spouse is good for you. Now, while I affirm that you should definitely have hobbies and dates beyond watching TV together, a little time enjoying a show and snuggling close can be so fun. 
3) Seek out good, clean, entertainment to watch with your spouse and children. Part of why I'm enjoying Avatar so much is because of the strong morals represented in the show--friendship, loyalty, defense of freedom, knowledge-seeking, family devotion, and so much more. There are so many raunchy shows out there that I feel sully the joy you can feel in your marriage because of the degrading messages they present and the impure thoughts they invoke. Avatar: The Last Airbender may have been meant as a show for youth, but I don't care about others thinking it's juvenile. It is good, clean entertainment that isn't damaging to my mind or my marriage. 
4) Now, you don't have to become an avid fan of your spouse's interests. Kevin patiently sits through some sappy Pioneer-era chick flicks that I love (AKA Love Comes Softly) and he's not a fan. But he's a fan of me, so he spends time with me. There's value in giving it a shot and there's value in respecting your spouse for their enjoyment in it.
All for now,
-Mikayla

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