Goal setting is always a big deal in the first days of a new year. How often do you hear about couples setting goals though? Not so often. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about marriage goals in 2011.
The truth is, all marriages are only as good as the people in them, which is to say, they aren't that great at all. But do our inherent imperfections make marriage and monogamy a dying societal institution? No. Reports of marriage's demise have been greatly exaggerated. No ring, no dress and no promise, can make a person or relationship perfect. And sometimes it takes the rose colored glasses being smashed to smithereens, before we can accept and love what we have in an open and honest way. And while 2010 has been part of that destruction, in a small way it's also contributed to our acceptance of love as it is, not as we want it to be.
My husband came with me to pick out a tree and he put it up in the stand for me. But then he sat down on the couch, turned on the TV and tuned me and my good tidings out. I, of course, responded by getting upset. And then I was upset because I was upset on Christmas. It was all downhill from there. Three hours later, I had decorated the tree amid gripes, nags and sniffles, and I wasn't feeling any sort of goodwill toward men.
While you may have differing ideas of when and what to tell your kids about the big elf in the red suit. Having the talk about Santa is a time to come together as a couple and a family. And, no matter your experience with Mr. Claus, telling your kids the truth about Santa can be an opportunity to strengthen your relationship. Here are some things you can consider together as a couple to help ease the pain:
Shortly after moving into a new home, Matt had buyer's remorse. But Jennifer was happy living in the city. Would you move for your spouse, if you knew your happiness was at stake?
My fiancé’s new job had taken him about 90 minutes from where he was living and moved him to my home state. We had a few options: find an apartment for him until we later found a home, buy a house quick, or accept my parents’ offer to let us stay with them. They wanted to help us save money for our wedding and a future house, which was a huge gift on their part. And living with my parents wasn’t as weird as you may think
I love Christmas. Its a great time of year for family, getting together, Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks, and gifts. Gifts rock. I like getting them. My wife and I differ on gift giving - she is one who likes to give ‘experiences’ not ‘stuff’. A trip together would be a better gift, in her mind, than say, diamond earrings. I'm the opposite, I like getting 'stuff'. I don't connect with ‘experience’ as much as I do a physical ‘gift’. No matter what your gift giving style is, this time of year is a great reminder of the gifts we should be giving throughout the year, and if it takes this particular season to help us remember what we need to be doing more often, that's a good thing.
In any other sense of the word, I wouldn't tolerate using someone or being used. I won't date someone for his social status, befriend someone for the simple goal of getting ahead professionally, and I most certainly wouldn't sleep with an older man in exchange for being taken care of. But here I was sleeping with people because they were there, because my body had an urge, one that I clearly didn't feel the need to examine.
Traditional Love was nominated as a finalist, in The Marry Blogger's Top-Ten Marriage Blog awards. So head on over to The Marry Blog and vote for us. We are among some pretty awesome contenders, so this week's link round-up includes some of the best posts from the finalists and of course some zany marriage news, that I know you need.
It's easy to get caught up in the holiday rush and lose sight of what really matters. No wonder so many people feel so stressed during what should be one of the best times of the year. But ultimately, what matters most isn't getting the best deal, it's taking time out from our busy lives and celebrating with friends and family. So, while it may be a cliche, it's still true. The holidays aren't about commercialism, they're about being thankful for what we have. This is a season for miracles, big and small--the birth of a savior, an oil lamp that burned for eight days, and the love of family. And the best part is that those things don't require you to stand in line in the cold at three in the morning on a Friday.
