Living a New Life

In Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, the character of Emily dies while still a young woman and finds herself on a new plane of existence with those who have died before her. She learns that it is possible to go back to the world and relive a day from her life. Her companions advise against it, but she is curious. They tell her it is best to choose an ordinary day, but she wants something a little special, so she picks her twelfth birthday.

Holiday Hiatus

I'm taking a break from blogging while I spend some special time with family and friends. Here's wishing all of you a very romantic holiday season and a new year filled with love and happiness.

Great Reads

Here are some of the many valuable articles I have found on marriage blogs during recent weeks. Please take a moment to browse through the list. There is information and inspiration here for everyone.

Great Gifts For Husband or Wife - If you are still struggling with holiday shopping and looking for the right gift for your mate, this article by Patty Newbold at Assume Love might make you rethink the whole process.

Commitment in Love - Dr. Rich Nicastro at Strengthen Your Relationship explains why we need a secure foundation of commitment to keep love strong.

How to Be Romantic Without Cards, Flowers or Chocolate - Sean at Simple Marriage has some advice on how to break away from the cliches and make romance personal again.

Avoid Fights About Money - Loren Berlin at the Huffington Post outlines the best strategies to avoid financial conflicts in your relationships.

Five Proven Steps to Protect Your Marriage - Rick Reynolds at Affair Recovery offers some simple steps to invest in your marriage and protect yourself against infidelity.

How to Stay in Love - At The Power of Two, the longest-married couple shares the secrets that have enabled them to maintain a happy, healthy connection for 87 years.

Marriage is a Team Sport

by guest blogger Mark

What's Wrong With the Team?

In today's modern (post modern) culture, we have elevated individual rights and expectations to an art form. For many couples, the transition from single life to married life somehow fails to take place, and it really is "all about me." The early days, filled with chemical rushes that cause what more closely resembles mental illness than a long-term relationship filled with love, somehow become the standard for what the relationship should be like forever. These unrealistic expectations are soon dashed by very real difficulty of integrating two totally separate lives in a way that lets each contribute to the relationship.

Some Things I Love About You

The newlyweds in 1986

Twenty-seven years ago today, my husband and I held hands in a room filled with friends and family, and promised to spend the rest of our lives devoted to each other. We were filled with love and great hopes for the future. We couldn't possibly have imagined all the adventures that lay ahead, the challenges we would face, the amazing highs and unexpected lows that we would experience on our journey. Through better and worse, richer and poorer, sickness and health, joy and sorrow, we have continued to choose each other. We are still growing, still discovering life together.

Hold Onto Happy Times a Little Longer

by guest blogger Patty Newbold

Whether your marriage is good or bad today, I am sure you can recall times when it was happy. Perhaps on your wedding day or the day you moved into your first house. Maybe you two gave birth to a child with those tiny little fingers gripped around one of yours and a smile you just knew was real because those baby eyes were locked on yours when it happened.

Happiness shows up during vacations, job promotions, or working together to open a store. It might show up the day you pay off the mortgage or send the last child to college or the day the hot tub gets installed.