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Be There!
Wolf and Anita Gotttschalk have been married for sixty-two years. Their granddaughter took this heartrending picture of them the day they were parted and placed in separate nursing care facilities in Canada due to governmental red tape. This picture demonstrates two things. First, someone needed to get their act together and rectify this terrible situation for two people who did not deserve to be treated like this. Second, despite this situation, Wolf and Anita have something we all want. They have an everlasting love and an undeniable intimacy that even strangers can see instantly. They understand the concept of “Be There.” They were being forced not to follow it, though.…
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How to Communicate Better in Marriage
What does nagging do to a relationship? The more you fuss, remind and nudge, the more you push your partner away. In my work for a Facilities Management Company, very large corporations, hospitals, and universities trust us to manage everything related to their buildings. When a leak is reported, we treat it as an emergency no matter the degree of intensity. We know that even the slow, steady drip of a tiny leak can cause destruction. Just like the nagging in a relationship. And yet, nagging wife syndrome may make women feel they have control and that their communication is good. But a constant and persistent “drip” or “nudging” can…
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I Don’t Speak Spanish: How To Speak Love in the Way They Hear It
I spent much of my time walking the hallways of Big Beaver Falls High School trying to avoid my teacher, Mr. Evans. “Senor” Evans was a perfectly nice man. But, he was my Spanish teacher, and anytime he would see one of his students in the hallway, he would try to talk to us in Spanish. And well, the only thing I knew how to say in Spanish was “No hablo Espanol.” (I don’t speak Spanish.)Have you ever had that same feeling in your relationships? I read a great book by Gary Chapman called “The Five Love Languages.” Dr. Chapman teaches that every person has a love language. And if…
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Hey, Get a Room
“Hey, get a room”. These words have been said to me and my husband, Bobby, literally dozens of times over the years. I’m a modest woman. I don’t dress or speak provocatively in front of others, and we have never crossed any line beyond a quick kiss on the lips in public. So what prompts this consistent and common response from people? I don’t know. I’m always a little surprised. So I did what I always do when I don’t know something. I asked my husband. He didn’t know either. So, I’ve been mulling it over, and here’s what I think. Most people don’t speak sweetly to each other after…
