Whether they are natural features like, The Grand Canyon, Uluru, or man made like The Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate, The Sydney Opera House, we could all name various landmarks. Places that stand out for various reasons and are clearly identifiable with a certain place. Have you ever thought of your marriage that way? Landmark This is another that came from my married daughter. As you can tell we spend time talking about marriage, not just her and me but her husband and mine as well are often involved in marriage conversations, even more so since I started writing marriage … Continue reading →

Yes, after a little diversion of the last two days to other marriage topics, I’m back with my alphabetical hints for marriage. H is the star today. So, if you want a happy marriage consider adopting some of these H hints. Helpful This is a bit like the one Andrea came up with the other day of favors. It can mean just being helpful in the little things like shopping, picking up clothes, or washing up. My husband often does the washing and wiping up if I am trying to meet writing deadlines. Or it might mean being helpful in … Continue reading →

Will we soon see short term contract marriages? Will we see couples contracting to marry for three years or five years, and then with an option to renew, instead of till death us do part? That’s the question Mick raised recently. And no, I don’t for a moment think he’s ready to trade me in or regretting ours is a life contract. It’s more a reflection of the way society is going. We live in a disposable society. Most major appliance manufacturers tell you they have a life of around 5-8 years – a situation I find laughable. Who can … Continue reading →

As promised here is part 3 and the final part of things to discuss before marriage Health Issues – any serious issues the other person may need to know about e.g. if you may be unable to have children or have a genetic disorder, then your partner needs to know.. Goals – Do you have the same goals for your life together? If not, are your goals compatible or is it going to prove a problem to reconcile them in your marriage? Friends – do you like you’re spouse’s friends and do they like yours? If not, then you will … Continue reading →

Yesterday we looked at things to discuss before marriage. Here are some more things on the checklist of things that should be discussed. Attitudes towards work and family life. The person, who is a workaholic or a professional student always wanting to gain new skills, can have a detrimental effect on marriage. They may have trouble making time and making it a priority to nurture their marriage and family relationships. Finances and whether you will have separate bank accounts or a joint account. Even if there is a joint account, will each person have their own spending money that they … Continue reading →

Part of the joy of meeting new people and being in a relationship is getting to know them, their likes and dislikes. This means more than just things like their favorite color and movie, etc. It means getting to know their attitudes towards life and how they will react in a given situation. With a marriage partner it is even more important. Yet, I am constantly amazed at how little some couples communicate and talk to each other about major issues before they get married. Do they think they will just all resolve themselves because they love each other? It … Continue reading →

So Christmas is over and the presents all unwrapped, family often gone back to the respective homes or maybe more arriving. How do you feel after the hype of the last few days? Do you feel still on a high after the excitement of Christmas? Do you feel thankful things are back more normal and back to your usual routine? Do you feel depressed because family has left or you’ve had to leave them behind or simply because there’s nothing to look forward to any more? Do you regret that it’s all over for another year? Or are you relived? … Continue reading →