As I ponder this past year and look forward to new beginnings, one thing is top of mind: my relationships. A ritual I never miss at the beginning of each new year is taking stock of how well I have loved those most important to me the year before. One of the most precious people in my life, as you might guess, is my husband of nearly 40 years. Reflecting on what has supported our happiness and success,
there are a few things that stand out, which occurred to me might be helpful to others.Over the years, I’ve worked with scores of struggling couples.
When I ask them if they reserve time for conversation as a couple, typical comments sound like this: “What’s that? We barely have time to exchange a kiss.” or “We haven’t had a meaningful conversation for months!” or “Who has time for conversation? We’re too busy raising a family.”
The first key action to building a happy marriage is to create a strong connection through meaningful conversation. Our lives are very full; I get it. However, how can we create a loving relationship with anyone without communicating? The answer is we can’t.
