Today on Simple Mom there was an article titled Putting First Things First – Where Are You On The List?
No matter what sort of relationship you have – long term, married, or not – the tips and hints listed are important in keeping a sense of perspective and love in your relationship.
I think my favorite part of the entry is simply this:
There’s a popular belief that if you love each other enough, everything will just work out. The cynic Ambrose Bierce defines love as “a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.” The truth is – love is a mechanism that allows marriage to do what it is designed to do. Marriage is designed to grow you up.
The post is written by relationship columnist Corey Allen, author of the Simple Marriage blog.
More below.
When I picture today’s mom, I see a woman juggling while riding a bicycle on a high-wire. Add the role of being a wife, and picture this same image, but with the high-wire suspended over a lion’s cage.
Motherhood today is anything but simple. I doubt I need to tell you that marriage is the same. Marriage will stretch you, test you, and frustrate you at times. It’s also a means to tremendous passion and adventure in life.
Research continually finds that married people live longer, experience more fulfillment, and have a more passionate and satisfying sex life. But all this doesn’t happen by chance.
There’s a popular belief that if you love each other enough, everything will just work out. The cynic Ambrose Bierce defines love as “a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.” The truth is – love is a mechanism that allows marriage to do what it is designed to do. Marriage is designed to grow you up.
Who’s the most important person to you?Let’s switch gears for a moment. When it comes to your life, who is the most important person in the world to you? I ask this question to almost every couple I counsel. The answers I hear vary, and rarely is the answer the one I’m looking for.
Think about your answer for a moment – who comes to mind? Your spouse? One of your children? A parent? You may know where I’m going with this, and it’s fairly easy to say the right answer, but do you live as though it’s true in your life?
The answer – YOU. You are the most important person in the world to you.
Before I move on, let me torpedo a few of your initial rebuttals to this statement:
“If I view myself as the most important person then I’ll be selfish or arrogant.”The simple truth is that nobody can take care of you better than you. Plus, if you don’t love yourself, how can you possibly offer love to anyone else? I assume you’ve heard the safety procedure on an airplane about putting on your own oxygen mask before trying to help others. This advice applies to marriage as well as parenting.
Tags: discussion, links, love, marriage
