Have you ever pondered the question, “why is our relationship so difficult?” “What happened to your fantastic start when you first met your spouse?” The most likely explanation is that you and your partner have progressed past the honeymoon phase of your relationship. The question is whether or not it could be that simple.
Yes! Most of society is aware that interpersonal bonds develop and shift over time. Yet, many do not realise that they tend to develop similarly. Long-term relationships progress through stages, each of which brings unique emotions, obstacles, and possibilities. It’s likely that you’ll go through each of the following phases of dating if you want your relationship to develop into one characterised by love, respect, and closeness. Read the explanations of the stages and tell me if any of them seems familiar.
You should realise that these phases often occur in this order and that you’ll need to overcome the obstacles that arise in each phase before moving on to the next. No rule is ever really ironclad, of course. But if you want a good and fulfilling relationship, you can’t avoid going through all these phases. Each couple will progress through them at their own pace, and most individuals will go through them multiple times; it is not uncommon to vacillate between stages.
Saying “I do” at Vines of the Yarra Valley is an elegant and luxurious affair.
FAQs About Marriage
What Is the Hardest Stage of Marriage?
According to relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW, as it turns out, the first year really is the hardest-even if you’ve already lived together. In fact, it often doesn’t matter if you’ve been together for multiple years, the start of married life is still tricky.
What Year of Marriage Is Divorce Most Common?
Studies suggest that 20 percent of marriages end within the first five years and that this number increased by 12 percent within 10 years. But between 10 years and 15 years, the rate only increases about 8 percent, implying that one of the safest stages of your marriage is between years 10 and 15.
What Does a Healthy Marriage Look Like?
In a healthy marriage, a couple is supported by a partner who listens, respects, shares, and practices open and honest communication. They exhibit a willingness to compromise and are open to constructive criticism. In a healthy marriage, a couple feels happy and safe with their spouse.
Why Are Wives Unhappy in Marriage?
The cause of every unhappy marriage is most likely a deep-rooted sense of unfulfillment. A feeling that there is not enough love, affection, trust, respect, or other crucial components for a satisfying connection. By nature, a woman is more connected to her emotions.
What Is a Walkaway Wife?
Walkaway Wife Syndrome is a term used when wives leave their husbands. It occurs when an unhappy wife suddenly divorces her spouse without warning, which opens up a lot of questions.
Passion: The First Stage of Marriage
Romance and passionate attraction cement a couple’s relationship throughout this honeymoon phase. Looking back, it seems as fleeting as spring; within most couples have been together for at least two years. Typically lost that first enchantment, Nevertheless, this is not always the case. from couple to couple. The passion phase may be brief, but it is crucial and powerful when it occurs. It’s a rush of endorphins designed by nature to make you and your partner put your differences aside and work together for the benefit of the species’ continued existence.
The “honeymoon” phase of a marriage, which begins right after the wedding and continues for a few months (and maybe even a year or two) afterwards, is universally recognised as romantic, emotional, and idealistic. A man in ancient Israel would not be conscripted into the army for the first year after he was married so that he may focus on his new wife and their new family. This phase, marked by physical intimacy and infatuation, can be highly sensitive and explosive, but it also creates a safe space for marital bonding.
Nature provides these delightful surges of neurotransmitters to make you attach even if you’re marrying later in life or for a second time. In the passion phase, couples do more than just fall in love and have fun together; they also lay the groundwork for a long-lasting bond based on trust, respect, and emotional intimacy.
The Romance Stage
This period, which can last anywhere from two months to two years, is often referred to as the courtship phase or the fantasy stage. If you and your potential spouse have just met, this is the time when everything is wonderful. You two are infatuated with one another. You can’t do anything wrong in each other’s eyes since you’re both still trying so hard to be perfect. You’re trying to figure out how much you have in common at this point in the relationship. You want to give your all to your spouse when you’re in love.
In this mindset, conflict is viewed as negative and is avoided at all costs. You realise you need this person in your life and start making plans to spend as much time with them as possible. The most vulnerable time for falling in love and letting your guard down is during the teenage years. In this phase, you and your partner are laying the groundwork for the future of your relationship.
And then there are the biological consequences. In this phase, your body produces an abundance of endorphins, which causes you to have an overwhelming sense of well-being, optimism, and excitement about life in general (you know, the “over the heels in love” feeling). It’s no surprise that this is the phase most frequently depicted in films and novels about romantic relationships. You are more content than you have ever been and can’t think of a time when you wouldn’t feel this way.
Stage Two of Marriage: Realization
Now that the excitement of your wedding has worn off, you must prepare to spend the rest of your lives together. You now know that your partner was human and did not, for example, lower your toilet seat or fill the dishwasher. There will be a period of disappointment and early arguments as you and your spouse go through the initial stages of learning to accept each other for who you are.
After the excitement and thrill of Stage One have passed, we enter a more mundane and mundane phase. Stage 2 is where partners hone their ability to understand and be understood by one another. They make an effort to recognise and articulate what it is that they want, need, and feel. They become more open with one another and capable of actively listening to one another.
Individuals develop methods for coping with previously unrecognised disparities when they come to light. When two people commit to each other, they gain experience in compromise, negotiation, and acceptance. Through prayer, they hope to gain insight into their and their partner’s emotional and mental states. Some married pairs may feel God’s presence less strongly than others.
The goal and difficulty? Nothing less than establishing a firm foundation for a prosperous future together based on mutual understanding, respect, and adaptability. You will need to be aggressive as you share and listen intently to each other’s private desires and needs. This lays the groundwork for a future of genuine recognition, acceptance, and assistance.
Stage Three of Marriage: Rebellion and Struggles
Conflicts of authority are more likely to arise after the first three years of marriage when each partner has begun to stake claim to his or her territory and establishes defensive perimeters.
At this point in the marriage, both partners have come to terms with the fact that they married someone who had as many faults as virtues, and they have reverted to re-inventing themselves in ways that may or may not fully incorporate the other person.
The “seven-year itch” occurs during this time, while many marriage counsellors today believe it can occur as early as three or five years into a marriage. The peril of the affair becomes clear as soon as the first excitement and exhilaration wear off and is replaced with disillusionment, conflict, and frustration.
She misses her friends while he longs for his high-tech toys. She’d rather take a vacation, while he wishes to play baseball once a week. They’re both ambitious people with aspirations for professional growth.
Couples who make it through the “realisation” phase of their marriage and lay the foundation for a comfortable, mutually respectful life together nonetheless face the challenge of individual interests superseding those of the marriage. Also, when that time arrives, expect some serious conflict.
Tackling love during the rebellion stage’s complex power battles is no easy feat. Since you’re both convinced of your rightness, the other must be in the wrong. This means you take offence at being criticised while also insisting that you are in the right. Is there a more surefire method to tear a couple apart?
Spouses have unrealistic expectations of each other. The two will harm and disillusion one another without meaning to. They have a heightened awareness of their differences and may resort to manipulative tactics in an effort to restore harmony. Conflicts over authority are prevalent. It’s possible for the other person to respond with blame, judgement, criticism, and defensiveness. The relationship is tainted by worry and dread. Sometimes, when a couple is arguing, they tend to think in black-and-white, extremes.
This is the time for couples to work on their ability to forgive and compromise with one another. Positive strategies for coping with negative emotions, such as rage and pain, are taught. It’s crucial to have a community behind you at this time.
Furthermore, it is around this time that a sense of self-reliance and uniqueness becomes more prominent. After emphasising being one, modern couples must learn to respect each other’s individuality and agency. Within the framework of a stable partnership, they develop their sense of self-identity. Usually, the requests and unprompted sobs of a couple’s prayer centre on the couple’s needs. Sometimes God seems far away and uncaring, while other times, He seems quite close by.
The experts agree that the revolt stage will inevitably have its share of high drama. The task is to master the fine art of conflict resolution; more often than not, problems stem from the style of fights fought than from the points being debated. Why? When anger and irritation are added to rebellious thoughts, the result is typically rebellious behaviour such as cheating on a partner, spending frivolously, or accepting a last-minute job move to a new place. Any of these can doom a marriage.
Check out our post on What qualities make a good husband?
Fourth-Stage of Marriage: Working Together
Over time, marriages naturally get more intricate. Things change when people advance in their professions, acquire more possessions, develop stronger ties to others, and have children. A more professional tone characterises the cooperative phase of marriage. Put aside your feelings and your quest for self-knowledge; you have bills to pay, investments to make, a job to plan, your health to monitor, and, most importantly, children to raise.
The pair may find peace in their second or third decade of marriage after enduring boredom, conflict, and temptation for the first two. An unexpected second chance at reconnecting presents itself. Once kids leave for college and one or both partners find fulfilling work, the couple can put their attention back where it belongs: on each other, rather than the inevitable stresses of marriage that arise from having to split their time between raising children, working, and maintaining a relationship. More and more couples are opting for renewal ceremonies when they recommit to one another and celebrate with a second honeymoon. Keep in mind the words of the vow: “Till death do us part.”
Revealing, Mending, and Starting Afresh
Through increased communication, honesty, and trust, couples can go through the preceding stage. In a perfect world, they’ll find a fresh way to bond with one another. Both parties gain a deeper understanding of the other’s capabilities and limitations. They become more adept at recognising and discussing their anxieties rather than acting them out. They don’t blame or criticise their partner, instead reframing criticisms as requests for improvement. They shift their approach to conflict from a zero-sum game to one where both sides can gain something.
Partners learn to appreciate each other for who they are: unique individuals with strengths and weaknesses. There is a rise in compassion and empathy. The couple develops a deeper mutual admiration and regard for one another and stops taking the other for granted. Together, they strike a new equilibrium between individuality and interdependence, autonomy and closeness. Their perspectives broaden and become more accepting. The partnership gains new life and optimism. Through prayer, many couples develop a deeper and more reliable connection with God by focusing on their thankfulness and thanksgiving.
Returning Together is the Fifth Step in a Marriage
The cooperative stage of parenting often lasts between ten and twenty years, and then it’s over. Your responsibilities as a parent are lessening, you have a stable income and work, and you’ve paid off your mortgage. So, what happens then? Happily married people can rediscover each other not as parents and providers but as lovers, friends, intellectuals and searchers. If this is accomplished, harmony, contentment, and rapprochement can flourish.
It’s nice to have such lofty goals, but in practice they’re not always easy to fulfil. It’s time to reignite the flames of desire, deal with the disappointment and distance that come with middle age, and readjust everyone’s duties and expectations within the marriage.
Process Stage 6: The Big Bang
Losing your job, experiencing serious health issues, relocating to a new city, experiencing financial troubles, and dealing with the health or death of a parent are just some of the major life events that can mark the beginning of your retirement years. When one or both partners are going through a traumatic experience, the relationship is said to be in the “explosion” stage. The Eruption phase of a marriage, in contrast to the preceding six stages, can occur at any time, though typically in our fifties and forties.
Adjusting to the extra responsibilities, limitations, and fears that come with a personal tragedy can be difficult in a marriage. In this final stage, you should focus on keeping yourself happy and healthy despite the many changes and obstacles you’ll face. Taking time out to enjoy the basic pleasures of life with your partner can be all it is necessary to keep a marriage healthy, especially if you and your partner can periodically practise the Serene art of setting aside anxiety and tension.
Seventh-Chapter Marriage: When the Two Become One
Many studies have indicated that married couples who have been together for 30 years or more report significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction. The experts’ quick explanation is that the couple has much more time to become acquainted with each other now that the children are grown. That, however, is not the full picture. The only way to fully understand someone is to adapt to their quirks, routines, and needs. After all is said and done, “knowing” one another takes on a considerably deeper meaning and more real payoff.
Even as the years pass and the wrinkles deepen around a girl’s eyes, she will always retain the vitality of a young girl, and the same is true of men. Keeping a childish love of life, humour, nature, and one another is the key to a perpetually positive relationship. It’s also about ignoring the past in favour of enjoying the present moment. To the contrary, those in the twilight of their marriages should cherish each other more than ever and look forwards to a bright future together.
They have been married for decades and have come to terms with the notion that they will most likely spend the rest of their life together. This could include looking back on the ups and downs of your relationship and feeling grateful that you were able to make it through them together. Others experience “falling in love all over again” when they realise they have found the one they want to spend the rest of their lives with. They have supported one another through many ups and downs, tears and laughter. They have forgotten almost everything else in the world except spending time with your one true love.
The order in which these phases of your marriage may occur is not set in stone. Or, you might experience something that isn’t discussed here. The point here is that very few marriages remain functional at the same level for the entire period two people have opted to be married. Adjustment is essential. To tell you the truth, that’s just how it is. An individual’s feelings about their life partner can evolve as just a result of their experiences.
Many couples still have years of life ahead of them, each with its own set of opportunities and challenges. Marriage and parenthood are two of the best ways to see a person’s strengths and shortcomings in stark relief. You can practise things like working together towards a common goal, dealing with differences and disagreements, and pausing to think things through before acting. The spiritual path of parenting enriches the lives of everyone involved. Like in marriage, there will be many opportunities to grieve and let go of attachments.
Others include health problems, unemployment, retirement, the death of a spouse, and financial difficulties. In addition to grieving the loss of their own children, many baby boomer spouses now have the dual responsibility of caring for their ageing parents.
Openness and flexibility are prerequisites for a flourishing marriage. For Christians, this also includes remaining vigilant for the work of the Holy Spirit. People of faith must learn to trust and let go in a society that places a premium on having all the answers. God provides the call to marriage as well as the means to accept it. God gives us the information we need to make another few decisions, even if we don’t know where we’re going or how the story will end.
Conclusion
The “honeymoon” period of a marriage is a time of intense feelings and romantic ideals. For the first year after getting married, men in ancient Israel were exempt from military service so that they could devote their time and energy to their new families. When two people become physically intimate, sparks may fly, but the atmosphere is also conducive to a secure foundation for a lifelong marriage. When you and your future spouse first meet, everything is lovely. It seems like you two are hopelessly smitten with one another and can do no wrong in each other’s eyes.
During this time, your body is flooding with endorphins, which fill you with an inexplicable sense of joy, hope, and enthusiasm for life (you know, the “over over heals in love” feeling). Compromising, negotiating, and accepting one another are all skills that couples develop through their commitment to one another. Even after a couple reaches the “realisation” stage of their marriage, they still need to work through the issue of their own interests competing with those of the union. Many marriage counsellors say the “seven-year itch” can start as early as three or five years into a marriage, but it often hits around year seven. During the rebellious phase of a relationship, each partner’s expectations of the other become excessively high, increasing the risk that they would hurt or disappoint the other unintentionally.
Aware of their differences more keenly than before, they may resort to deceptive practises in an effort to make peace. The challenge at hand is learning how to resolve conflicts constructively, as arguments tend to become problematic because of their tone more than their content. A more businesslike tone is typical during the cooperative stage of a marriage. It’s beneficial for both parties since they learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the other. In time, they learn to identify and talk about their worries rather than acting on them.
Many marriages find God or find God again via prayer. Parents and providers can take a back seat to lovers, friends, thinkers, and seekers in a happy marriage. Even while the Eruption stage of a marriage is most common in the ’50s and ’40s, it can happen at any moment. You’ve made it this far, and now it’s time to concentrate on enjoying life to the fullest and staying healthy and happy despite all the upheaval around you. Those in the latter stages of their relationships should cherish one another more than they ever have and look ahead with optimism to a bright future together.
One way to do this is to reflect on the relationship’s ups and downs and be thankful for the shared experiences. When some people finally meet the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with, it’s like they’re “falling in love all over again.” Being a parent is a spiritual path that benefits the whole family. Like in a marriage, there will be plenty of time to grieve and let go of past memories and possessions. Many spouses of baby boomers are dealing with the loss of their own children and the burden of caring for their ageing parents at the same time.
An open and adaptable mind is essential for a happy marriage. For Christians, this also means keeping a sharp eye out for the Holy Spirit at work.
Content Summary
- During this period of blissful intimacy, the bonds of love and passion between the pair are strengthened.
- Most couples nowadays have been together for almost two years, although looking back, it only feels like yesterday.
- The passionate phase may not last long, but it is extremely significant and potent when it does.
- It’s a natural high meant to make you and your mate set aside your disagreements and cooperate for the sake of the species’ survival.
- Everyone knows that the first few months (or even years) of marriage are the most romantic, emotional, and idealistic times of a couple’s life together.
- For the first year after getting married, men in ancient Israel were exempt from military service so that they could devote their time and energy to their new families.
- When two people become physically intimate, sparks may fly, but the atmosphere is also conducive to a secure foundation for a lifelong marriage.
- Even if you’re getting married for the second time or later in life, nature gives these pleasurable surges of neurotransmitters to make you attach.
- In addition to falling in love and having a good time together, partners in a committed relationship create the groundwork for a long-term partnership built on trust, respect, and emotional closeness during the passion period.
- Many use the terms “courtship” and “fantasy stage” to describe this period, which can span anywhere from two months to two years.
- When you and your future spouse first meet, everything is lovely.
- You two have a serious crush on one another.
- Since you’re both striving to be ideal at the moment, there’s nothing you can do to hurt each other’s feelings.
- You’re at that moment in the relationship where you’re both attempting to figure out how much you have in common.
- When a person is truly in love, they want to commit themselves fully to their partner.
- In this way of thinking, disagreement is seen as something to be avoided at all costs.
- You decide you can’t live without this person and plan to see as much of them as possible.
- If you want to fall in love and let your guard down, you need to wait until you’re a teenager.
- You and your significant other are building a foundation for your future together.
- The biological repercussions also cannot be ignored.
- During this time, your body is flooding with endorphins, which fill you with an inexplicable sense of joy, hope, and enthusiasm for life (you know, the “over heals in love” feeling).
- This is the stage most often portrayed in media and literature regarding romantic relationships, and it’s easy to see why.
- You feel happier than you ever have before and can’t imagine ever being unhappy again.
- After the honeymoon, you’ll have to start thinking about the remainder of your life together.
- You now have proof that your former flame was a human being and not a robot programmed to put the toilet seat down or load the dishwasher.
- Your marriage will go through a hard patch as you and your partner work through the frustrations of first discovering and then accepting each other for who you truly are.
- In the second phase, partners work on improving their mutual comprehension.
- One of the things kids work on is being able to name and express their desires, needs, and emotions.
- They learn to trust one another and listen to one another more carefully.
- When inequalities were hidden from view, people learned to deal with them in their unique ways.
- Compromising, negotiating, and accepting one another are all skills that couples develop through their commitment to one another.
- They believe that praying together will better understand each other’s feelings and thoughts.
- God’s presence may be felt less powerfully by certain married couples than by others.
- Nothing less than laying the groundwork for a long and fruitful future together on the tenets of shared knowledge, appreciation, and flexibility.
- You’ll have to be assertive as you talk about and hear one other’s deepest, darkest wishes and demands.
- In the long run, this paves the way for genuine acknowledgement, acceptance, and help.
- Conflict and defiance characterise marriage’s third stage.
- After the first three years of marriage, power struggles are more likely to arise when each spouse has begun to develop their territory and defensive perimeters.
- Both spouses have accepted the reality that they married someone with flaws as well as strengths and are once again re-inventing themselves in ways that may or may not fully embrace the other person.
- Even though many marriage counsellors now believe the “seven-year itch” can appear as early as three or five years into a marriage, this is when it typically manifests itself.
- As soon as the initial euphoria and joy subside and are replaced by disappointment, conflict, and irritation, the true danger of the situation becomes apparent.
- She pines for her pals, whereas he pines for his electronic devices.
- He wants to play baseball once a week, whereas she would rather go on vacation.
- They want to advance in their careers and are both ambitious.
- In spite of laying the groundwork for a pleasant, mutually respected existence together, couples who make it through the “realisation” period of their marriage still face the difficulty of competing for personal interests.
- It’s not simple to deal with romance amidst the complicated power struggles that characterise the rebellion stage.
- Since you’re both sure that you’re right, that means the other person must be mistaken.
- This indicates that you take offence at criticism while maintaining a firm stance that you are right.
- Partners in a marriage tend to place excessive demands on one another.
- Without realising it, the two will end up hurting and disillusioning one another.
- Aware of their differences more keenly than before, they may resort to deceptive practises in an effort to make peace.
- Power struggles are common.
- The other person may react with hostility, hostility, defensiveness, or blame.
- Uncertainty and dread have ruined the partnership.
- When a pair is arguing, each person may start to see things in stark, binary terms.
- Now is the moment for partners to practise forgiveness and cooperation.
- Instruction is provided on more healthy ways of handling difficult feelings, such as anger and pain.
- Having support from others around you is essential right now.
- As a corollary, it is also during this stage that a sense of individuality and autonomy begins to emerge.
- After putting so much stock in their unity, modern couples need to learn to value their own and one other’s unique identities and independence.
- They discover who they are within the context of a secure relationship.
- When a couple prays together, their needs tend to dominate the focus of their petitions and the subject of their unprompted weeping.
- God’s presence can feel distant and unconcerned at times, and yet very real at others.
- The experts all concur that there would be tense moments throughout the uprising phase.
- The challenge at hand is learning how to resolve conflicts peacefully, as disagreements tend to arise more from the manner in which they are waged than from the content of the arguments themselves.
- Anger and aggravation, when joined to rebellious ideas, often lead to reckless actions like cheating on a relationship, spending too much money, or accepting a job transfer to a new city at the last minute.
- Any one of these can spell the end for a marriage.
- Marriages, by their very nature, become more complex with time.
- When people get married, have children, get promotions at work, accumulate more material goods, and strengthen their social relationships, society shifts.
- A more businesslike tone is typical during the cooperative stage of a marriage.
- Put aside your sentiments and your quest for self-knowledge; you have responsibilities such as paying bills, making investments, planning your career, keeping tabs on your health, and, most significantly, raising children.
- After two decades of boredom, struggle, and temptation, the couple may finally find some serenity in the second or third decade of their marriage.
- A second chance for reconciliation arises out of the blue.
- Once children have left the house for college and one or both spouses have found satisfying employment, the couple can focus their attention where it should be: on each other, rather than the inevitable stresses of marriage that arise from having to divide their time between raising children, working, and maintaining a relationship.
- Renewal ceremonies, where couples recommit to one another and celebrate with a second honeymoon, are becoming increasingly popular.
- Don’t forget the promise you made: “Till death do us part.”
- Disclosure, repair, and a new beginning
- Couples can get past the previous stage by improving their communication, honesty, and trust.
- Ideally, they’ll discover a new way to connect with one another.
- It’s beneficial for both parties since they learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the other.
- In time, they learn to identify and talk about their worries rather than acting on them.
- They don’t put the blame on one another and instead frame criticisms as suggestions for progress in the relationship.
- Instead than viewing conflict as a zero-sum game, they frame it as a situation in which everyone involved stands to gain.
- Partners develop an understanding and acceptance of one another as whole, complex people.
- The capacity for empathy and kindness is growing.
- The pair begins to appreciate one another more and cease taking the other for granted.
- They find a new balance between independence and reliance, autonomy and closeness, by working together.
- They open up and learn to accept more.
- Renewed hope and energy have been breathed into the relationship.
- In most families, the cooperative parenting period lasts for ten to twenty years until it ends.
- There is less you need to do as a parent, you have a secure job and income, and you’ve paid off your house.
- Parents and providers can take a back seat to lovers, friends, thinkers, and seekers in a happy marriage.
- If this is realised, peace, contentment, and reconciliation will blossom.
- These are admirable aspirations, but they aren’t always simple to realise in the real world.
- It’s time to rekindle the passion that once was, mend the wounds of disillusionment and separation caused by middle age, and realign roles and expectations within the partnership.
- Major life events such as job loss, serious illness, moving to a new city, financial difficulties, dealing with the health or death of a parent, and entering retirement are all possibilities.
- The relationship is in the “explosion” stage when one or both partners are going through a painful experience.
- Eruption is the seventh and final step of the marital process, and it can happen at any time, though it most commonly occurs in our forties and fifties.
- A personal tragedy can put a strain on a marriage as the couple works to adjust to new roles, restrictions, and anxieties.
- You’ve made it this far, and now it’s time to concentrate on enjoying life to the fullest and staying healthy and happy despite all the upheaval around you.
- Practicing the Serene art of putting aside anxiety and tension on occasion can go a long way towards maintaining a happy marriage, and so can taking time out to enjoy life’s simple pleasures with your mate.
- Married couples who have been together for 30 years or more tend to be more satisfied with their union, according to numerous studies.
- The professionals offer a one-liner answer, saying that the couple now has a lot more time to get to know one other since the kids are grown.
- But that’s only part of the story.
- In order to truly know someone, you must conform to their habits, rituals, and requirements.
- A woman’s youthful vigour will never fade, no matter how many years have passed and how many lines have formed around her eyes, and the same is true of men.
- The actual key to a perennially pleasant relationship is maintaining a childlike enthusiasm for life, humour, nature, and one another.
- As a corollary, it’s about living in the moment rather than dwelling on the past.
- Instead, couples in their later years of marriage should treasure one another more than ever and look forwards to a happy future together.
- They have accepted the fact that they will likely spend the rest of their lives together after being married for so many years.
- One way to do this is to reflect on the relationship’s ups and downs and be thankful for the shared experiences.
- When some people finally meet the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with, it’s like they’re “falling in love all over again.”
- They have encouraged one another through thick and thin, through laughter and sorrow.
- Spending time with your real love is all they care about anymore.
- These stages of your marriage might happen in whatever order you like.
- Conversely, you may encounter something unusual that isn’t covered here.
- The point is that few marriages stay healthy for their full planned duration.
- Altering your approach may be necessary.
- The truth is that things really are that way.
- The way a person feels about their spouse can change during the course of their lives.
- There are many more years of life ahead for many couples, years that will bring their own unique possibilities and problems.
- Marriage and motherhood are great methods to view a person’s strengths and weaknesses in clear perspective.
- You can exercise skills like coordinating efforts towards a common objective, negotiating conflicts, and pausing to consider options.
- Being a parent is a spiritual path that benefits the whole family.
- Just like in a marriage, there will be plenty of time to grieve and let go of past memories and possessions.
- Health issues, job loss, retirement, the loss of a spouse, and money challenges are some others.
- Many spouses of baby boomers are dealing with the loss of their own children and the burden of caring for their ageing parents at the same time.
- An open and adaptable mind is essential for a happy marriage.
- For Christians, this also means keeping a sharp eye out for the Holy Spirit at work.
- People of faith in a culture that values knowing everything must practise trust and let go.
- Marriage is a divinely ordained institution, and God provides both the invitation and the means to respond to it.
- Even if we have no idea where we’re heading or how the story will end, God gives us the information we need to make the next few choices.