3 Ways Your Marriage is Like a Pepper Mill

I had this odd idea last night about marriages and pepper mills. Here are three ways your marriage is like a pepper mill:

1. It is always there, easy to take for granted. Our pepper mill sits right next to our salt shaker on our table. We forget how valuable it is. Pepper is so valuable that it spurred development of the Silk Road and world exploration in the late 1400s. It could be used for ransom or as collateral in Europe. We expect our pepper mill and our marriage will always be there when we need them. Either could vanish today. Appreciate them while you can.
2. It adds something to almost everything. We grab for the pepper mill all the time, adding flavor whenever we need it, hardly noticing why people risked their lives to get this stuff. We share chores, back each other up on making an income and raising children. We drive each other to and from the emergency room. We buy homes together. We have sex when we want it and vacation together, adding something to so many different aspects of our lives.
3. It is simple to operate, but it takes a bit of effort. To get the pepper, you need to turn the crank. A happy marriage is not difficult to achieve, but if you rely on your initial loving feelings to make it work, nothing happens. You have to turn the crank.