National Marriage Week: The First Thing to Go
By LaCharla
Ever heard that old saying about the first thing to go? The version I’ve heard most says it’s the memory. And even though that’s just a bit of comedy, we CAN fall victim to memory loss in marriage.
What do we forget? To extend common courtesy to each other. That we’re not always right. That marriage is not a competition. We can forget a thousand little things that meant the world to us while we were courting.
Your Very Own Time Machine
For Day 7 of National Marriage Week, your key word is “reminisce.” The idea is to spend time together reliving happy memories. Talk about whatever makes you smile–childish pranks, your first pet, going to the fair. Talk about the people, places, and things that were important to you.
And talk about your relationship–how you met and how you grew to love each other.
Why should you do this? Because sharing personal memories creates connection, deepens intimacy, and builds friendship. You probably don’t stand around spinning funny tales about your early life for random shoppers at the mall. And there’s a reason for that.
They don’t know you. So they don’t care.
Friendship is Golden
Couples who enjoy marriage share a special friendship. In fact, HappifyTM has a great infographic that pictures the features of a healthy marriage that you can see here.
There’s something about friendship in marriage that makes so many things run smoothly. Forgiveness comes easily. Smiles are common. Disagreements don’t have to morph into fights.
If you and your spouse are still great friends, don’t let that friendship slip. And if you and your spouse can’t even spell the word friend these days, try rebuilding your friendship step by step. On purpose. Do NOT give up. Friendship takes time to develop and rebuilding one might take a bit more.
Go Forth and Conquer
So share your stories, your happy memories. Share feelings you haven’t shared with anyone else. Let your partner see how you became the person you are now. Crazy, serious, fun, or creative.
Let them see INTO you just a bit more. If you keep reminiscing, your memory WON’T be the first thing to go.
Here's to a lifetime of beautiful memories!
-----------------------------------------------------
