A friend’s mother died last week. An only child, he would have been alone in sitting with her as she slipped away and in dealing with her death. But he wasn’t. He’s married to a wonderful woman who provided help and love during all of it. Being married softens the blow of our low points. It also enhances our high points. Last week, my husband, Ed, celebrated his birthday by...
If your wife treats you like part of the furniture or can’t stop telling you how to earn more money, if your husband drives you nuts with his insensitive comments or misplaced laundry, it’s time to round up the usual suspects.
Wow! I spent a week in Atlanta at the 2006 Smart Marriages Conference in June. It was my first one, but the 10th anniversary of this truly remarkable gathering. Organizer Diane Sollee brought together 2,263 people who share the goal of better marriages.
Mike’s watching a baseball game on TV. Melanie wants him to go with her to the nursery to pick out some flowers for the garden. Melanie knows if they don’t go soon, they won’t be able to plant tomorrow. Recently, gardening’s been the one activity they actually enjoy together. She walks into the family room and asks Mike when he’ll be ready to go. He doesn’t...
One of the most widely read and cited books on marriage is The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman, Ph.D., and Nan Silver. Gottman can predict whether a couple will divorce after watching and listening to them for only five minutes. His predictions are correct 91% of the time. He watches for four things as they try to resolve an ongoing disagreement. Here’s what...
