Passwords? To share or not to share

My husband and I have this policy. Actually, it's not much of a policy. It's just more of something that we started while we were dating. We have total access to each others passwords, log ins and email accounts. Some of my friends and even my family are amazed by this.

"There's no privacy." Some have said to me.

"What about your private life?" Others ask.

The words "private life" and "marriage" just don't seem to go together. I'm not saying that my husband and I are Siamese twins connected at the hip. We do have lives outside of one another. But let me be clear. These outside lives are not private. They're just separate.

The word "private" inside of a marriage seems kind of sneaky. I know plenty of married people who have private lives. They're also having affairs, second families, hidden bank accounts and illegitimate children.

Besides our love for each other and our family my husband and I have very little in common. I do  believe that it's important to have my own interests outside of our marriage but my husband is aware of these interests even if he's not necessarily interested in them. Even though I have no interest in going through my husbands phone, sharing our passwords adds a level of security to our marriage. We do have lives outside of each other but I like the option of being able to check into his life and seeing what he's up to while we're away from each other throughout the day or week.

I have friends whose husbands guard their own cell phones for dear life, their wives only being granted a slight peak into their "private" world. I guess they know that if their wives knew the contents of their cell phones it would open a Pandora's box of trouble.

I have complete trust in my husband. I don't feel the need to go through his phone, email or personal electronics. I am happy though that I have the option and that we have that sort of marriage. Is it unconventional? Maybe. Is it stupid? Absolutely not. It works for my husband and I. Just like a lock protects its contents by ensuring that only those authorized to open and view what's inside are allowed, knowing each other's passwords does the same. It brings us closer, builds a level of trust and protects our marriage.