My Intangible Trousseau.

Isn't trousseau a lovely word? I like the thought of it as a bride's clothes and her household linens that go with her when she marries. That must have taken either a lot of sewing or a lot of shopping.

What did I bring into my marriage with Josh? I had a lot of house items (a Crockpot, a sheer pink canopy with rosettes, blue and white towels...) but not a lot of money. I had three sets of scrubs (blue, pale pink, and plum) that I wore to my job as a dermatologists' office along with a thick-knit pink cardigan. But much of my trousseau was emotional or mental.

• I brought mental illness,though I didn't know the extent of it. I knew something was wrong. This illness would deeply affect our marriage.
• I brought a lot of music. Josh and I shared a lot of favorites (Richard Marx, Hall & Oates, Steve Winwood, Journey...) and introduced each other to new favorites. At home, we watched a lot of VH-1 Classic.
• I brought a love of musical theatre. Josh already liked My Fair Lady. We went to Hello, Dolly! on campus and later saw Beauty and the Beast and Phantom.
• I brought a love of books--and a lot of books! We've exchanged some favorites.
• I brought a love of movies. Josh isn't a movie person, but he watched all of my (many) favorite movies to know me better.
• I brought a love of writing. We've supported each other's writing, whether it's Josh's play or my blog.
• I brought a lot of emotional issues from past relationships--not just partners. We didn't immediately know how to treat each other. We're better at it now.
• I brought a drive for academic success. I think this influenced Josh, especially in grad school.
• I brought a love of science fiction. I sort of introduced Josh to Next Gen, and he introduced me to Stargate: SG1.
• I brought a great hope.