Too long has marriage, in this tasteless age, With ill-bred raillery supply’d the stage; No little scribbler is of wit so bare,
But has his fling at the poor wedded pair.
As there is nothing in the world as common as marriage, and as it is something over which men commonly make fools of themselves, it is hardly surprising that it should form the subject matter of most comedies. Read the rest of this entry »
The marriage state, with or without the affection suitable to it, is the completest image of Heaven and capable of receiving in this life.
For what is wedlock forced but a hell, An age of discord and continual strife? Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss, And is a pattern of celestial peace. Read the rest of this entry »
Though most of our money problems stem from some other issue, sometimes when we fight about money, we’re really fighting about money. For instance, let’s say you’re flat broke, or in debt. You don’t know how you got yourself into this situation. So you blame your partner. And she blames you. You’re fighting about money. You can avoid such a pitfall by following this three-step process once a year. Read the rest of this entry »
True friendship rests on our ability to reveal the more vulnerable aspects of ourselves. “Look for a relationship where you can really be yourself and know the other person in a real way,” Dr. Lerner says. “That means sharing both your confidences and your vulnerabilities, and being able to speak freely about anything that’s on your mind.” Read the rest of this entry »
One important way to keep an argument focused and avoid escalation is to make it clear that you’re listening to what your partner says. One way to do that, marriage educators suggest, is to employ a technique called active listening. When your partner says something, repeat it or paraphrase it as best you can and ask if you got it right. Don’t argue about it or challenge how your partner feels, he says. Understand how your partner feels and acknowledge its validity. Read the rest of this entry »
When a couple has a fight, there is no real winner.
Oh, one of you might make your point— or manage to score points off the other. But it’s a hollow victory at best. Ultimately, when a couple fights, they’re not solving problems; they’re creating them. Read the rest of this entry »
Words are hurtful enough, but if a disagreement deteriorates into a hitting, shoving, or throwing match, then you and she have a major problem on your hands. Read the rest of this entry »
This can be a small or a massive job depending on the style of your venue and wedding. If you are marrying in a stately home, chances are your surroundings will already be fairly salubrious. Alternatively, a church hall or marquee may need a bit of extra work to liven it up. Read the rest of this entry »
I have noticed that many of us pride ourselves in “knowing” how our husbands will react to a given situation. The logic goes something like this:
I already know what he’s going to say before I talk to him.
I don’t like what he would have said if I had talked to him. Read the rest of this entry »
Infatuation is when you think he’s as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen and as athletic as Jimmy Connors. Love is when you realise he’s as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford — but you’ll take him anyway. Read the rest of this entry »
