Comments on: 11 Things I’ve Learned from Being Married 11 Years

By: thinkingfamily

thinkingfamily — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:08:39 +0000

Thanks, Pat. I agree. I want Christi and my kids to hear "I love you" from me loudly, publically, and often.

By: thinkingfamily

thinkingfamily — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:07:32 +0000

That's great, John! Christi and I try to break the stigma of marital counseling by sharing our need for it and our very positive experience. I really hope that this post helps people realize that getting counseling is ok. We're in marriage for the long haul and we're going to use every tool at our disposal to make it work.

Thanks for the encouragement and for stopping by!

By: John King

John King — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:37:28 +0000

Paul,

Great post! I appreciate your transparency in talking about getting counseling. I refuse to marry a couple unless they get pre-marital counseling to break down any anti-counseling feelings. I was late for an annual physical once because of a pre-marital session. My doctor was cynical that such sessions were really worthwhile. I asked, "Doc, would you rather a person came to you for regular check-ups before they had a major health crisis, or wait to seek a primary care physician?" He smiled and said, "You've got me!" I added, "I know they are 'in love' and may not remember everything we talk about, but if they can have a good experience in counseling before they marry, they are more likely to seek help when they struggle."

Thanks for encouraging folks to get help.

By: Patrick J Robertson

Patrick J Robertson — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:17:23 +0000

Paul a great Blog and I give a hearty "that;'s right" to each of your eleven points. I hope many read it and benifit by doing those little things in their marriage's. One of the lessons I learned is that the best thing I could do for my kids is to love their mother. It's easy to let the kids come between the parents and let that become a friction point. Believe me kids come hard-wired with a program to play parents against each other… "But Mommy said I could…". Don't fall into that trap! Love your spouse and you are right never assume that they know it. Say it and say it often "I Love YOU!"