1. Be married for 45 years!. Marriage is like a roller coaster ride with highs, lows, dips and valleys!
2. Have children! Become a family!
3. Have grandchildren! The reason you had children.
4. Love those in your family that deserve your attention and stay away from those that don't. Okay to disown family members that are toxic. Have meaningful friends. Support your community, province, country and the world.
5. Love our own parents and your spouse's parents. They usually die before you do so will be our of your life before you realize.
6. Have lots of parties. Big ones, little ones, for a good reason and no reason at all.
7.Go to events when you have an invitation. Even the children's parties.
8. Have lots of sex. A colleague who was unmarried once told me she would rather have 2 weeks of steamy sex a year than married sex. Who says married sex is not steamy? Even boring sex is not so bad!!
9. Be grateful. Thank your spouse often for the smallest things. Respect each other!
10. Divide up the chores. Each takes ownership of contributing to the chores.There is no such thing as female work or male work. Dirty laundry comes from both sexes. Put your dirty underwear in the hamper. Match your own socks.
11. Laughter. Laugh a lot. If you are a cute klutz like my husband, there is lots to laugh about!
12. Be a shoulder to cry on. Sad times can be shared.
13. Sleep in the same bed. Be near each other.
14. Love each other even through the bad times.
15. Love through the good times.
16. Love through the mediocre times.
17. Be proud of your spouse's accomplishes. A little bragging or a lot. Celebrate together.
18. Do not be sexist. Mine is the cook. I am the breadwinner.
19. Hold hands when you walk anywhere.
20. Hold hands sitting on the couch.
21. Hold hands at night sometimes to let your spouse know you are there.
22. Take care of each other when sickness occurs.
23. Tell him he's handsome. Tell her she's beautiful.
24. Try to like the friends and other relatives. Try to learn about the other's culture.
25. Have activities you do separately.
26. Have activities you do together.
27. Eat healthy food. Exercise. Take care of your heath.
28. Eat unhealthy food sometimes. Have regular cheat days.
29. Make a toast to the good times- with your favourite beverage.
30. Keep the memories of loved ones alive with each other and family.
31. Have at least 2 TVs so each can watch their own shows. Especially with the converter! Nice for each to do their own flipping through the channels.
32. Go to movie together. And buy popcorn!
33. Go out to dinner. Or a breakfast or a lunch. Fun to be on a date.
34. Order in so there is no cooking to be done.
35.Make a surprise gift even if it is not a birthday or Christmas.
36. Use candle light or low light- not for romance, it just makes you look younger.
37. Less comments about the wrinkles, pot belly or changing body. Be like Michael Buble- you can dance with someone else but come home with me tonight.
38. Listen, really listen to what the other is saying. Try to talk less and listen more.
39. Exercise together. Walking is easy. Ride a bike. Swim. Dance- dancing is good. Especially slow dancing.
40. Don't interrupt when your spouse is sharing some news in company even if you have heard it a thousand times. Jokes- let your spouse tell the same one to new people.
41.Pose for pictures when asked. Photos are a great way to keep memories alive. Besides a year from now you will see them and know you were younger. Photos do improve with age.
42. Dream together. Have dreams and goals and keep the bucket list going. You might not complete everything but you can give it a college try.
43.If he's cold cover him with a blanket. If she's cold, give her a cuddle.
44. No secrets. No lies. Be a trusting person that shares.
45. Hope you will have another day, year together.
46. Always count your blessings. No one's life is without challenges or hardships but getting through them to the good times are life's little blessings. So maybe we'll make it to #46, who knows!!
Happy Anniversary to my High School Sweetheart and to all the other married couples who struggle every day!!
Barbara
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excellent words of wisdom about a successful marriage from my fav cuz ...
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