For many, getting married was going to be the ultimate lifelong bliss that each and longed for. We were going to be different from all of those other couples who seemed to fight and struggle with problems. We had found the one who would make us happy and we would not experience the difficulties that…
DetailsAs you read that title, you are probably thinking, “Of course not.” And that echoes the sentiments of most of us. We hate suffering. We want comfort. We want to lay in a hammock, drink wine, nap, get a massage – anything that pampers ourselves. But suffer – no thanks; I am happy to skip…
Details“I am telling you, she gives me such a headache.” “The way that he treats me leaves me with a churning stomach.” “All we ever seem to do is fight – it makes me sick.” Have you ever felt this way? If so, you’re not alone. In a study that was reported at the American…
DetailsWhen is the last time you went to your partner and said – “I am broken, please fix me?” Or, “I have some flaws, would you please correct them for me?” As you read these questions, you probably are thinking that I’m nuts (I may be but that is a different discussion for another time). …
DetailsI was intrigued by a recent article in the OP/ED section of our newspaper, “Ten reasons to live without a smartphone.” As I read numerous studies regarding the ways in which smartphones impact relationships, this caught my attention. The author cites the high percentage of smartphone users in the 18 to 49 age bracket and…
DetailsYou may be wondering, “What in the world does my relationship have to do with a job promotion?” Well, I’m glad you asked. A five year research project out of Washington University in St. Louis made some very interesting, and relevant to relationships, discoveries. The project involved more than 4,500 people, examining the relationship between…
DetailsWhen my children were young, we used to drive to the Fresno airport, park, and spend an hour or two just watching planes take off and land. We were mesmerized by the fact that these huge pieces of machinery could get off the ground. Oh yes, there is a detailed scientific explanation as to how…
DetailsBeginning in 1986 Terri Orbuch, an author and psychologist commenced a study in which she followed the lives of 373 married couples for over 20 years. Nearly half of these couples had divorced over the decades (pretty typical numbers), and they shared with the researcher lessons that they had learned as a result of their…
DetailsBack during the Christmas holidays, I had the most unbelievable experience. My wife and I were out of town and had the opportunity to spend an afternoon and evening with a couple of my cousins and their spouses. We went to one of their homes, visited in the afternoon, went out to dinner, then came…
DetailsI love hearing stories about how people are filled; what things lead to feeling valued and cherished – how they get their “crank turned.” My wife is a public school administrator. Occasionally, she will get a note from a past student or perhaps a card from a staff member, letting her know what an impact…
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