People Share Their Keys To Maintaining A Happy Marriage And Living Happily Ever After
Maintaining a romantic relationship is no easy feat. Nurturing a partnership requires each person to step outside of themselves and work to understand their counterpart.
According to a recent CDC report, divorce rates in the United States have actually gone down year over year since 2000. Now, for every one thousand marriages, the divorce rate is only 2.3.
Still, a “happy marriage” is not always synonymous with “not divorced.” So, one Reddit user was curious about how happy marriages are truly forged.
They asked the Reddit community, “What is your biggest piece of advice for maintaining a relationship?” Most of the responses rested on basic principles of support, communication, and understanding.
“You cannot expect your partner to be a mind reader.”
“This is so important and is something that my husband and I are currently working on. Communicate expectations, be honest about what you care about, and understand the other person’s capabilities. This really alleviates some of the friction between us.”
“My husband and I have been married for fourteen years. Our marriage almost dissolved twice. The first time we went to therapy, and he learned to talk to me. The second time was because neither of us made time to talk to each other.”
“Now, we put our kids to bed, go outside, and just talk. No judgments, no yelling, just honest and open discussion.”
Dennis – stock.adobe.com
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
“And our marriage has never been stronger. It’s been almost three years since we started doing this. Just talk to your spouse, people.”
“Help your partner achieve his or her goals with love and kindness.”
“Anytime I have gone to my wife and said I wanted to do something, she instantly went online and began looking for ways to help me achieve that goal.”
“This is one of the things I love most about my husband! He has always just quietly tried to help make my life easier. We have been happily together for more than twenty-five years.”
“Marriage is not built on romantic feelings, but on loyalty, trust, communication, and perseverance.”
“A lot of people forget this. Romantic feelings can be hard to come by during tough times. Marriage is a deliberate choice to persevere.”
“And there are always tough times– a marriage is not broken because they happen.”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“They are not going to fold your underwear the same way that you do it. But does it really matter? If you criticize every little thing they do, they will not want to be around you for long.”
“People are, well, people. We have habits and idiosyncrasies. Some we can change, others we cannot. Your spouse is going to do stuff you hate, stuff you dislike, and even do stuff in a silly way. If it does not do you harm, just let it go.”
“Be each other’s best friends.”
“If you cannot sit in silence with your spouse, as well as go and be spontaneous together, then you need to figure out why.”
“I know so many married people who are absolutely horrid to each other. I asked one friend if she would be friends with her spouse had they not gotten married. She said no. That is so sad and guaranteed to end in disaster unless something is done.”
“Be each other’s best friends. Lust may eventually disappear, but the friendship and comfort you give each other will keep you going.”
“I love this. My wife and I are best friends. We felt guilty during COVID because we loved that we could just stay home, watch movies, play video games, and do whatever.”
“A perfect day can be both of us in the same room.”
“Remember that nobody is happily married all of the time.”
“You might be unhappy for weeks, but stick it out. Are you truly unhappy in your marriage, or is it stemming from another part of your life?”
“I have been married for thirty years. I would guess that only twenty-eight or so years have been ‘happy’ once you add up the crappy times. But, it was not all at once.”
“One of the worst years of our marriage was when my dad moved in with us so I could care for him. He was dying of cancer. It was awful for me, but I had to realize it was not just about me. It was awful for my husband, too.”
“It was not because he did not love me, though. He just had his own feelings to work through.”
Do you agree with these bits of marriage wisdom? What other habits can help maintain a “happy marriage?”
To read the complete Reddit thread, visit the link here.
More About:Human Interest