My life is extremely busy. With only two kids, I have tons to do for them between school, sports, cleaning, shopping, friends, vacations, and discipline. Add to that my writing, keeping the monthly budget, and making sure food is on the table for everyone. I recently discovered this truth: life is tearing me away from my marriage. At first this was a scary thought, but then I remembered the advice of a religious mentor from years ago: consistently do simple things, and make time for each other no matter what. So I decided that I wanted to write some of these simple things down that myself and others can do to keep their marriage tied tightly down:
Use Visual Reminders
Visual reminders of your love for each other is a great way to strengthen a marriage. In fact, many professional marriage counselors highly recommend quality visual reminders in your home. If you and your partner are having a bad day as a couple, remembering reasons to be happy in general is just hard. There is something about a beautifully displayed expression of who you and your spouse are together. Beautiful photography of your wedding day or candid shots from a fun vacation years earlier will powerfully effect the perspective you have on your relationship. Other reminders can be a favorite quote displayed in elegant typography or special souvenirs you bought while traveling together. Print your visual reminders on canvas frames at the Custom Canvas Store
Give Each Other Small Gifts
A small gift for your partner is a great way to let them know you are thinking about them and that you love them. Small gifts do not have to be expensive pieces of jewelry or anything like that. A small gift can range from anything such as a special dessert treat or a planned time alone if alone time does not come easy. Small gifts remind your loved one that they are on your mind even if they are not in your presence.
Agree To Disagree
Every relationship is going to have differences and every couple is going to have their fair share of arguments. Figure out how to make mistakes the right way and how to be right without making your spouse feel dumb. It is a good idea to agree to disagree at times for the sake of strengthening your relationship by working to come to a compromise. Compromise will take a lot of listening power. Even if you do not see eye to eye on every single subject, if you agree to disagree as a couple, you are accepting your differences and not holding them against your partner.
Plan A Budget Meeting
Money can easily put a strain on a relationship if not handled properly. Having a budget meeting allows you as a couple to discuss and plan your family’s budget. Budget meetings allow each partner to be aware of their financial responsibilities within the family and avoid surprises when bills come.
Speak Their Love Language
Your partner might not feel truly loved if you clean the entire kitchen daily for him. It’s not that he thinks that your act of service is meaningless, it’s more like speaking Mandarin Chinese to a Georgia cow boy. It just doesn’t register for him as “love”. Instead, you might tell him how much you love him and explain how you keep the house clean because you know it will make him happy. Something like this might show up on his radar. Get over whatever is holding you back from learning to speak his or her language and speak it, unconditionally. Watch what unfolds in your marriage.
Relationships take work from each individual involved, but if you truly love each other, that work is by far worth the effort. Although these suggestions are just a couple of many different ways, these ideas are a great start toward working to strengthen your marriage.
[author image=”https://plus.google.com/u/1/_/focus/photos/public/AIbEiAIAAABECNHEzoDZiZDZiQEiC3ZjYXJkX3Bob3RvKig4MDY5YWI2N2VmMjMwODE0MDk2NWNlYzJhYjFjMmI4ZWU0NjQ1ZTI5MAGyrAs2g6tCeWWnmJDZhd1mrXVSEg?sz=64″ ]Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer out of Sacramento, California. She has two wonderful children who employ her full time as their mother. Sometimes it’s exhausting, but on the side, she writes for her own enjoyment and for other blogs.[/author]
