It’s Black Friday, which means an annual lunch get-together with my husband, a dear friend since elementary school, and her husband. Much more pleasant than joining the crowds at the mall. (I am not a shopper.) This year, we found a great Italian restaurant, where I had the most delicious broccoli, tomato, lemon chicken, and mozzarella panini. Yum! Home again and checking my email, I have...
Remember that feeling? The one where you feel warmth near your heart and your rib cage opens up a bit as you read a love letter or look into the eyes of someone you’re falling in love with? That is the rush of oxytocin and the stimulation of your vagus nerves. It doesn’t just feel great. It also improves your heart’s health and helps fight off inflammatory diseases, but only if...
Just a quick note today to highly recommend a blog post by Carson Abrir on the Fatherhood Channel on why you might want to treat your marriage more like a professional basketball team. It includes a great handout on the Joy of Marriage, too.
There is no question about it: marriage adds burdens to our lives. It also adds comforts and joys. When the burdens outweigh the other two, it’s time to try something different. In my blog, I often suggest three things you can do when you feel overly burdened: (1) Assume Love, (2) Expect Love, and (3) Find Third Alternatives. I have found that all three can evaporate some of the burdens of...
A brand new reader named Ona shared a fantastic example of what you can learn about your spouse and yourself when you Assume Love. At the end, she asks for a little help with her next steps, so I want to share her comment and my advice with you. I hope it lights a few candles for you, because I want you to enjoy being married. Ona wrote: Wow has this philosophy been an eye opener. I can’t...
I am a widow who got it right the second time. I have been sharing here since February 14, 2006 what I learned from that experience and from positive psychology, marriage research, and my training as a marriage educator.
