When people first get married they usually expect their love and commitment to last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, for at least half of all couples it doesn't. What happens? Soon after marriage couples discover that the bliss of falling in love quickly fades. They no longer see each other through rose colored glasses. The ease with which they once overlooked each other's faults becomes much more difficult.
With married life, couples begin to encounter new challenges, roles and responsibilities. Conflicts arise and sometimes go unresolved. Tensions build. Commitments weaken. Mutual respect isn't always present. And, unconditional love and acceptance does not always last. So how do you build a strong marriage that can withstand the onslaughts of life's challenges?
No one ever said that marriage is easy. Marriage is hard work. To keep a marriage strong, satisfying and lasting requires a great deal of investment. It takes time and energy to get to know and understand your spouse; to set goals and share dreams together; and to have fun and enjoy each other. Couples sometimes lose touch with each other and grow apart when they get lax and don't work on their marriage. Yet when they do, they are much more likely to feel very close and deeply cared for by their partner.
Couples who invest in their marriages can build deep friendships. Researchers have found that the level of a couple's friendship is the greatest indicator of success in marriage. Couples who are close and are best friends have more happiness and satisfaction in their lives. Best friends are trustworthy, safe, understanding, loving, accepting and respectful. Best friends are a strong buffer in times of trouble. You can count on them. They are supportive and faithful. Best friends can work through conflicts and pressures that threaten the relationship. Best friends do not give up on each other. They forgive. They share.
You may have been your spouse's partner and lover, but have you been your spouse's best friend? If your marriage is not all that you would like it to be and you want to begin investing more into your marriage to make it better, why not begin with your friendship. You may likely find that it is one of the greatest investments you will ever make.
Love & Marriage - Best Friends Forever
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Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a licensed professional counselor, author, teacher, and musician. She specializes in helping people live their best life now, reach their full potential, overcome barriers, heal from their past, and develop a lifestyle of health, happiness, and love.Krystal is the cofounder of New Day Counseling, a family and marriage counseling center and BeHappy4Life.com, an award-winning self-help and personal growth site where you can find hundreds of free resources, online workshops, video presentations, insights, and inspiration.
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» left by Leah Gray - Illustrator(13,681) Leah Gray - Illustrator (1 year 294 days ago.)
I think one of the things people forget when looking at broken marriages is that in actual fact many people do not marry for love at all, so love lost is NOT one of the factors. There are many reasons why people say 'I do' many of which can be external pressure, financial or just a feeling of 'why not?' or perhaps one partner is more committed to the relationship than the other. It's just too darn easy to do. Respond to this comment
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