It seems I am getting invitations to weddings left and right this past month. College students getting married between semesters, I guess. 'Tis the season....Bright eyed brides and grooms staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Their lives spread out in front of them, blue skies ahead! But once that shiny newness wears off, the dress hung up and gifts put away, life gets real, you know? I mean it is normal to have arguments and get irritated and want to quit from time to time. Sometimes I think the most valuable gift we could give a newlywed is advice. Really, sound, time-proven advice would be priceless. If I could tie it up in a nice pretty package with a ribbon on top, this is what it would look like, but since I can't here are ten tips I would pass on to newlyweds if asked. It has worked for me, and so far I have survived almost 26 years of marriage. Yes, I said survived, because sometimes it is bliss and sometimes you have to just muddle through the rough patches.
- Always keep Christ in your marriage. Stay equally yoked in your religious beliefs.
- Kill him/her with kindness even when you don't want to be nice
- Relationships are more important than being right
- Don't run home to mommy every time you have an argument. In fact, unless there is abuse, keep disagreements private between you and your spouse.
- Always hug each other when you come home.
- Laugh together, often.
- Persevere, press on
- When you have rough patches, remember what you loved about each other
- Share a hobby or interest
- Date! Fall in love all over again.
There you have it, my unsolicited, possibly unwanted marriage advice. Here is some other advice I've blogged about in the past.
What advice would you add to this list?
