This post is part of the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with hundreds of inspiring bloggers. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!
My husband and I have an amazing marriage. We have been through a lot in the seven years we’ve been married and the almost 10 years we’ve been a couple. We’ve been blessed with three wonderful children, but things haven’t always been easy. We lost our home during the great recession, lived on $67 a month for two months as a family of four while job searching, but our love never failed. Maybe it’s because we’ve survived truly difficult times that we have a strong marriage.
We Don’t Try to Change the Other Person: Sounds simple, right? I don’t know how many times I’ve heard girlfriends say, “my husband would be perfect if I could change ____ about him.” Or listened to friends who would like to “fix” something they don’t like about their spouses. Remember, you chose your spouse and he or she is not a pet project for you to perfect. Of course there are things about my husband that drive me crazy, but these traits make him who he is and I love the total package.
Honesty: I have a hard time with honesty not because I’m a liar, but because I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings. If my husband says or does something that upsets me, I need to tell him so I don’t hold a grudge against him for something he doesn’t even know he did. Your spouse is only human and it’s unfair to have unrealistic expectations for him or her. My husband can’t read my mind, but I’m pretty sure I can read his.
Apologize: After you say or do something you regret, own up to your mistake and say, “I’m sorry.” Kiss, make up and move on.
Ask for Help: Being a mother of three is physically and emotionally draining. There are days I wish my kids would send me to timeout so I could gather my thoughts. Instead of throwing a tantrum and waiting for my punishment, I ask my husband to watch to the kids so I can have a few minutes to myself. The few minutes of freedom I have completely change my outlook and allows me to be a better person, mother and wife.
We Make Each Other Laugh: My husband asked me if I would rather have cute or funny in a spouse? Hands down I’d rather have funny, but I’m lucky because he’s handsome and hilarious. We’re always making each other laugh and laughing at the craziness in everyday life. Our marriage wouldn’t survive without laughter and neither would we.
Have Fun: Life’s too short to be serious all of the time. Work time is meant to be serious, couple time should be fun! My husband and I like to challenge each other to game of basketball (challenge each other at anything), but one of our favorite activities is going to concerts. We both love music and we have so much fun bonding over awful singing heard at concerts. We really enjoy our time together.
Love Unconditionally: Yes, love unconditionally! I love my husband even though he falls asleep before me and his snoring keeps me wide awake. I love him even though he eats all the brownies I make before I can eat one. I love him because he eats all the Nutella and puts the empty jar back in the pantry. I love my husband because he works hard to provide for his family. I love my husband because he is a doting, remarkable, loving father. I love my husband because he loves me.
What qualities makes your marriage successful?
Fawn Weaver, the founder of the Happy Wives Club wrote a book about the best marriage secrets the world has to offer. They say the book is like “Eat, Pray, Love meets The 5 Love Languages.” You can grab a copy HERE.
