There's a saying I've seen emblazoned on T-shirts, pillows, and decorative signs:

If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy... And If Daddy Ain't Happy - Ain't Nobody Cares.

I remember when the kids were small, the days I was out of patience and ready to set them at the side of the road with a suitcase, Daddy was full of forbearance and love. On the days Daddy couldn't manage a minute without snapping at them, I was the one able to handle the whining.

It's the curious nature of a marriage partnership. Each of us are in 100%, but there's still only 100% in the marriage. 1 wife + 1 husband = 1 couple = 1 marriage.

And we still fall into those patterns even though we're supposedly empty nesters. When one of us is tired of yard work, the other gets a yen for dirty hands. When one has scrubbed the last toilet for this month, the other is willing to take over.

I'm sure there's a corporate term for it, synergy or teamwork.

I call it family.