Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
(Author: Wilferd Arlan Peterson)
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Wonderful post! Such great words of wisdom that all of us married people should remember.
Hi Andrew, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. We all periodically need some reminders of what marriages is about.
This is great….all of it. The only thing I disagree with is the not going to bed angry thing. I hear that a lot, and my wife and I desperately tried to make this work. But, sometimes, sleeping on the issue allows you to wake up with a clear head, void of the emotion of the previous night. Just my opinion…different strokes for different folks, right? Good post. I like your stuff.
Thanks Matt. I’ve also heard many times that not going to bed angry doesn’t work for some couples, but at least they’re being sure to communicate the problem the next day rather than completely ignoring them altogether.
If you think about it, this advice can work for most things in life and not just marriage.
This is a great list.
I especially like the very last item. People often don’t realize that by being a great husband/wife they can pull their spouse along into being a better partner as well. On the other hand, when things start to fall apart, if we also stop being a good spouse, it will just cause the marriage to slide faster.