Marriage is a lot like... getting a dog?

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but for my latest attempt at a "reading" for my sister's wedding, I wrote the thing below, loosely adapting it from Taylor Mali's poem called "Falling in love is like getting a dog."

This is fresh out of my brain and clearly needs work, so I would appreciate it if you would bust out your inner copy editor and offer some suggestions, general or specific. Comments can be left below the post or sent to justinwehr@gmail.com.

***

I imagine that, in a few ways, getting married is kind of like getting a dog.

Marriage makes messes.
Marriage leaves you little surprises here and there.
Marriage needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to say to marriage, “Don't you ever do that again!”
But, of course, it will.

Marriage is a big responsibility.
Marriage is harder than you might expect.
Marriage, at times, requires as much patience as you can muster.
Marriage means that you don’t always get what you want.

Marriage needs exercise.
Marriage thrives on long walks.
But sometimes it will run you around the block
and pull you in several different directions at once.

Marriage makes funny noises
and not-so-funny smells.

Marriage will make you laugh.
Marriage will make you cry.
Marriage will teach you how to live.

Marriage knows not to dwell on the past
or to worry too much about the future.

Marriage knows that the solution to most of the world’s problems is naps.

Marriage knows that good lives are built around good routines.
But it also knows that sometimes the best option is to chuck it all and jump in a lake.

In the end, marriage is probably too complicated
to be compared to a dog.

But marriage might be like a dog in one important way:

Despite all the messes and sacrifices and not-so-funny smells,
Those with a good marriage never question for a minute whether it is worth it.
And that’s because if you care for it, and if you pay attention to it,
It will, in return, give you love.