May• 2019 | 111sleep. Chances are things will look
different in the morning.
23 When people say marriage
is hard, believe them.
24 If you’re going to complain
about something, come to the table
with a suggested alternative.
25 Hatred is perfectly normal under
the circumstances. Don’t freak out
about it or take it too seriously.
26 Don’t kid yourself into thinking
you have all the time in the world.
27 Do not underestimate
how irritating your spouse’s slightly
irritating behaviours will become
over time.
28 If you want something, recognise
that it’s your job to ask for it.
29 The louder your spouse
yells, the quieter and calmer
you need to be.
30 Disappointment is inevitable.
Life gets a lot easier once you
accept this.
31 There are no guaranteed
divorce-proofing moves.
All any of us can do is be a
husband or a wife our spouse
would be foolish to leave.
32 Sometimes you’re going to
do your unfair share. It’s not worth
whining about.
33 Accept apologies graciously.
34 Being happily married is not the
same as living happily ever after.
35 Marriage will teach you more
about yourself than you bargained
for. Consider that a gift.8 Establish early on whether the
question “Do these pants make
me look fat?” is a true yes-or-no
question.
9 Admit your shortcomings.
They’re obvious anyway.
10 Most of your fights are living
proof of your immaturity. The sooner
you grow up, the happier you’ll be.
11 In lovepales in comparison
withlove.
12 When you think you’ve tried
everything, know that you haven’t.
13 Cleanis a relative term.
14 Give up all hope of being
perfectly understood.
15 Being right will eventually
lose its appeal.
16 Many of the things you fight
hard for will turn out not to have
been worth the fight.
17 Your definition of sexy will
change over time. New definition:
husband going out in the pouring
rain to latch the slamming gate.
18 Be the first to apologise. Really.
It’s not as painful as it sounds.
19 Pay more attention to what
you’re doing to make things go
badly, and pay less attention to
what your spouse is doing.
20 W hen your spouse’s behaviour
is open to interpretation, ascribe the
higher motive.
21 It’s idiotic to stay up late arguing
about being too tired to have sex.
22 Forget the nonsense about
not going to bed angry. Get some
FROM SPEAKINGOFMARRIAGE.COM (DECEMBER 8, 2013), © 2013 BY WINIFRED M. REILLY.