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Sacred Saturdays
I attended a wedding in which the pastor encouraged the bride and groom to get their PhD Degree in the other. It struck me immediately that Bobby and I have this kind of intimacy, and that it has significantly contributed to our happiness. I think the benefits are: We are more understanding and patient with each other’s weaknesses and see and appreciate each other’s strengths. We know the buttons NOT to push which reduces our interpersonal conflict. It is fun and relaxing to have our best friend right in our own home. Being known by someone is good for our health. No, really! Sex is much more likely to happen…
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Chasing the Dodgers: Handling Conflict When You’re Different
Conflict. Ugh. Just the sound of that word makes us cringe, right? But know this. If you can learn how to manage it well, conflict will help your relationship. Yes, make it better because both unaddressed issues and bloody battles are death to your relationship. One might just take longer to make it die than the other. So, let’s figure this out. First, there are really two kinds of people when it comes to conflict: Chasers and Dodgers. Both have good points when it comes to conflict, but both have the capacity to really screw it up, too. It’s important to identify who you both are so the road can…
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Commence with the Romance
I am obsessed with the show This Is Us. One reason everyone loves this show, besides the fact that Jack Pearson is hot (Did I say that out loud?) is because Jack and Rebecca’s relationship is so fantastic. Come on, they seriously got it goin’ on. He’s not perfect. She’s not perfect. But together – they’re imperfectly perfect. One of my favorite scenes is a Date Night they share. Jack is a recovering alcoholic who has slid back into his addiction. He is fighting it again, but he is sad and embarrassed. He is reluctant to reopen the wounds from his past, and he certainly doesn’t want to talk about…
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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…