“I am a better person because I am with you. You challenge and push me to do my best. You taught me to look at the world as …” – “You are a great teacher. I learned how to see problems as opportunities.”
Month: December 2018
Say something nice about your spouse’s family.
Your spouse did spend their growing years with their family. The family will forever be dear to them. Too often, people disparage their spouse’s family. Not a good idea. Don’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to choose allegiances between their spouse and their family. You don’t have to love them all, but […]
Ask for support in changing a habit.
Changing a habit is hard. It can be easier if you have support. Discuss the habit you’d like to change and ask for your spouse’s support. Describe CLEARLY what you would like from them. By showing them that you need them, you show that they add value to your life. — “I really want to […]
You can’t just buy the hard drive, you actually have to use it.
I learned this the hard way. I have a hard drive. I have a back up system. But I didn’t use either consistently or recently. And so when my laptop died – dead, dead – I lost a lot of my work. And I learned a huge life lesson. I actually have to use the […]
Buy something that they are about to run out of
Ever run out of something you need? You know that frustration. Because you care for your spouse, you would like to help them avoid that frustration. Buy something that they are about to run out of. Favorite hand cream, coffee, snacks, paper, stamps. Or at the very least, remind them that it is running low […]
Out of nowhere
Surprise your spouse with something unexpected. Out of nowhere. – “I was thinking of you today (like every day) and I remembered that when we just got married you used to like to [walk along the water’s edge/ go to the bookstore/whatever]. Let’s plan for that sometime this week.” “I know you like to put […]
If it won’t matter in 5 years, let it go now.
If you find yourself stressed or annoyed or bothered by something, it might be worthwhile to reframe the issue by thinking if it will matter in five years from now. If yes, then do something about it. If not, let it go.
Do something that your spouse will never know about
Do it because you love and care about your spouse. Not for reciprocation or out of guilt or obligation. Just because you want to make a tiny part of their life easier or better. – Choose your clothing the night before so you don’t wake your spouse in the morning with opening and closing doors […]