As I was talking to one of my childhood friends, I shared with her my search for the best items to place into a gift bag for a presentation I am doing next month. What do you give 300 ladies who are 35 – 55?
She laughed and exclaimed loudly – EAR PLUGS!
Really?
I thought perhaps she meant to drown out some odd noises. Before I could ask, she went on her usual, animated, delightful way of chattering about how any woman who have been married for a lifetime will love having earplugs – to silence the snoring of the man next to her in that place of ultimate respite – the bed — but also during those times when he is just jabbering on and on about who knows what. 
Now this is a gorgeous gal – inside and out. She and her husband genuinely adore one another and they are a pleasure to be around. They have been together forever – seriously, since we were kids. They have great offspring and a pretty happy life. I tuned in to hear more of what she communicating, thinking I was onto something in the way of a big juicy secret formula for a long happy life as a married couple.
The formula is all about love. Love plus humor. Add a little tolerance. Add a bit of creative – like the ear plugs. What I found particularly funny was that she doesn’t use them at night – she just goes to bed and goes to sleep – trying to remember the words to songs. Funny, the exercise of trying to remember lulls her into a night of peace.
The earplugs are for use when her husband is just talking at her.
