Eternal Marriage

          It is important to have a good relationship with your spouse’s family. This can be difficult for some people. It can be hard to connect with a family that has differing rules and expectations from the family that you grew up in. It is important that you respect them and try to understand them because that is the family that your spouse was raised in. However, the married couple must be careful to still care for, love, and respect their families, but separate from them.             In chapter 37 of Creating Healthy Ties with In-Laws and Extended Families by James M. Harper and Susanne Frost Olsen, it said, “The first task of a newly married couple is to separate from the families in which they grew up. One component of separating from families of origin involves creating a marital identity. It helps a newly married couple to think of themselves as existing together inside an invisible fence. Th...

                A strong marriage is important for children to be raised by. If a couple with children continue to work on their marriage and keep it growing, then the children will recognize it and follow the example of their parents. It can be extremely difficult to put a marriage first when there are kids in the picture. I remember growing up, my parents were extremely busy with my three siblings and I. We were all close in age and we took a lot of their time and attention. My dad worked full time and my mom worked part time so I’m sure that it was hard to find time for them to spend together and to put time towards their marriage. However, as busy as they were, one thing I remember from my childhood was that they went on dates often. They made time to go out with some of their good friends or just going to dinner or to the temple together. Although they are now divorced, that always stood out to me. That is...

          A marriage should include intimate relations that will help bring the couple closer together and unite as one. Intimacy can build trust and love. It is important that in a marriage, we continue to strive to grow, learn, and love together. Simple things such as holding hands, or a little kiss can let your partner know that they are loved and that you care about them. My grandma and grandpa will always hold hands at church and sit together. They always kiss each other before one of them goes somewhere. They are such a great example to me of being committed to each other and openly showing it. They aren’t afraid of people knowing that they love and care for one another. Both men and women like those small actions that show love and commitment.             It is also important that in a marriage, you stay completely committed to one another. Sometimes it can be easy to fall into traps that tear a m...