A lively monkey and a quiet turtle fell deeply in love and married
Marcie Monkey respected her turtle for being calm, cool, and collected
Titus Turtle adored his monkey for her exuberance and excitement
In time, Marcie complained her turtle didn’t share his feelings
Titus prayed his talkative monkey would restrain herself
Both blamed their partner for the problems in their marriage
Marcie suggested Titus learn to dance and be more talkative
Titus chided Marcie for expressing her every feeling
He wanted to fix her “problem” of having strong emotions
Marcie wanted more sharing from her subdued turtle
Titus sought peace and harmony from his monkey
Desperate, Marcie began to bang on the top of Titus’s shell
Titus recoiled his head deeper into his sanctuary
Exasperated, Marcie insisted they consult Ollie the Owl
The wise counselor observed that opposites often attract
Each frustrated spouse insisted Ollie change the other
Ollie explained they each must change themselves
When you change yourself, he said, you will change your marriage
Ollie encouraged Marcie to speak more calmly
He advised Titus to express himself and listen carefully
Quieter, Marcie was surprised when Titus spoke up
Titus discovered that Marcie felt he cared when he shared himself
Marcie’s attraction grew when her turtle opened his ears
Titus glowed from learning the joy of sharing with his monkey
The secret to success, Ollie said, is listening with empathy
He praised them both for being willing to change themselves
Titus listened to Marcie without judgments or criticisms
Marcie shared her feelings without nagging or complaining
Both stopped the blaming, which had undercut their marriage
In appreciating each other, Marcie and Titus rekindled their love
Each having grown, they lived happily ever after.
©Doug Welpton, M.D