Investing in your Marriage

There is a good deal of research that suggests that couples who are successful in marriage benefit greatly. These couples are happier, are healthier, have longer lives, are wealthier and have better sex lives than couples who divorce or individuals who remain single (Waite & Gallagher, 2000). Investing in your marriage is one of the best investments you can make!

So, I don’t understand why Martha and I sometimes go for a very long time before we plan a vacation or a weekend getaway for just the two of us. Martha said to me last night, “We haven’t had any time for the two of us since our trip to Paris in April, 2012!” That’s over 15 months. Yikes!

We really need that time to reconnect and to rejuvenate our relationship. We make time for our children, our extended family, our friends, our work, our house, our garden, etc., but we forget to plan protected time for our relationship and marriage. Hey, I’m supposed to be a partnership marriage expert and yet, still, I can neglect planning extended time with Martha devoted just to the quality of our marriage.

All the time, I recommend to couples to get away for a weekend or for a week or more to nurture their relationship. This weekend, Martha and I will sit down together and plan a weekend sometime in the next eight weeks. She doesn’t know it yet, but I think she will be on board! Next year is our 40th wedding anniversary. I think a month-long trip to Australia and the Far East sounds fabulous! Or maybe, we’ll book a trip to southern France and the Mediterranean. We love the Tuscany region of Italy!

Reference

Waite, L. J. & Gallagher, M. (2000). The case for marriage. New York: Broadway Books.

Posted in Partnership Marriage