#olivetheory

My Facebook Status on July 27, 2015 I just learned that my husband loves crunchy french fries. All these years (almost 12 total) he's given me the crunchy fries and I thought he didn't like them. In fact, they're his favorite but he gives them to me because he knows I love them. I feel so loved ♡♡♡

I am still in shock that for over a decade of togetherness, my husband willingly handed me all the crunchy French fries for my enjoyment. I honestly never knew he loved crunchy French fries and in fact, thought he preferred the soggy French fries. It felt like an act of fate, or ‘meant to be’ that we could easily split up the fries every time, myself with the crunchy fries and he with the soggy fries. This simple act of sacrifice is small in scale, but speaks volumes of how he loves me.

Our “Crunchy Fry Theory” is very similar to the Olive Theory, as depicted on one of our shared favorite television shows How I Met Your Mother. In this pilot episode, main character, Ted Mosby, explains the Olive Theory to Robin Scherbatsky. As explained on the unofficial Wikipedia page, “The Olive Theory is based on Lily and Marshall. Ted describes the theory to Robin in the Pilot episode. Marshall hates olives, but Lily loves them, and in Ted's opinion, that's what makes them a great couple; perfect balance.” Yet by the end of the episode, it is revealed that Marshall actually likes olives and always gave them to Lily because she liked it. Thus changing the idea of ‘perfect balance’ but of making it work.

If you don’t watch How I Met Your Mother, watch it. The series is over but you can catch episodes all over the television world.

Anyways, there are two characters in the show, Marshall and Lily (whom by the way are the ultimate relationship goal couple), have a theory about olives.

He hates them, she loves them and in the pilot episode, this gives a good glimpse into the balance that the couple shares, based on the olive theory.

It is the idea that opposites attract, which gravitates them towards each other and again, adds balance to their opposing interests.

My boyfriend hates olives, I love them. Olive theory.

However, the funny thing about the show (SPOILER) is that Marshall has loved olives all along, but says he “hates them,” so Lily can always have them.

So is the theory therefore debunked? Not necessarily.

It shows that opposites don’t always attract, but sometimes, that just may be what we see at the surface and underneath is someone who is willing to sacrifice for us.

The word sacrifice. I love it because it is so strong and yet, so many people don’t understand what it means these days.

I love the olive theory because it’s so much more than what it seems and what it’s showing us is that Marshall is willing to sacrifice his love for olives, so that Lily can always eat them. In a micro fashion, that is giving up something you love so that the one you love can be happy, always.

Now, my boyfriend really does hate olives, but he sacrifices all the time by not minding that I cook with them, by ordering them for me on pizza, and by not minding that sometimes their metallic, salty scent lingers on our kiss after I eat a few.

Sacrifice.

It’s a word every parent sure as hell knows, but it’s an act that everyone should be aware of and practice when the moment calls for it.

You should never sacrifice who you are as a person, but I sacrifice sleep for my son. I sacrifice being a friend and sometimes even a girlfriend. I sacrifice reading poetry all day long because I’m one of the few people in the house who actually give a shit, but that’s okay because that’s what my creative writing peers and mentors are for, oh and Tumblr.

So, let us sacrifice, like Marshall and Lily.

Let’s not put down the black olive because it represents so much more than just an amazing pizza and salad topper. After all, black olives are just ripened green olives.