February 4, 2005

2005 Spring Marriage Supplement

Tips for creating a healthy marriage

By Mary Ann Wyand

“A Lifetime Together: Thoughts for Engaged Couples” and “Marriage, After All These Years” are the topics of two News Notes recently released by The Christophers.

The brochures offer valuable advice from married couples and marriage counselors that are intended to help couples who are preparing for marriage and couples who have been married for a number of years.

Suggestions from the brochures include these tips for a healthy marriage:

• Keep God an integral part of marriage. Faith and prayer help couples pull through the struggles of married life.

• Acknowledge that men and women are different and that they solve problems differently. Under-standing these distinctions helps couples resolve misunderstandings.

• Communication is vital to a healthy relationship. Learning to listen to your partner’s nonverbal and verbal messages is essential to the process.

• Rediscover your partner by
making time for one another. Set aside time to go on dates and just talk with each other.

• Separate myths about marriage from reality. Good marriages are lifelong works in progress.

“Marriage, After All These Years” explains that successfully married couples and those who are divorcing have the same number and kinds of arguments, but the difference is how they disagree about issues.

The brochure suggests that couples accept the fact that some amount of arguing is inevitable, and that a husband and wife should be willing to ask for forgiveness and be willing to extend it as well. It explains that “fighting fairly” during an argument means never attacking your partner’s character or committing any form of physical abuse.

(Both brochures are available free of charge by writing to The Christophers at 12 E. 48th St., New York, NY 10017 or calling 888-298-4050 or by e-mail at mail@christophers.org.) †

 

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