The Superhero and the Damsel

Does your man feel like a superhero? Like he can do anything in your eyes? If you think about it, men like to believe they are conquerors. They like to be viewed as someone who can go above and beyond your expectations. They want to be seen as strong, the one who comes to the rescue. My husband does this in a number of ways. He can open any jar, fix just about anything in our house and can find solutions to virtually any problem. If he could don a cape, I think he might. While most men like to … Continue reading

Losing Your Identity

Have you ever heard someone speak against marriage because they didn’t want to “lose their identity?” I have to say that I think this is a valid concern for anyone considering a walk down the aisle. I totally believe in the biblical concept that the “two shall become one.” I think your lives must become so intertwined that it is no longer only about you. Now you have to consider someone else’s thoughts and feelings before making decisions. Two become one in making financial decisions, raising the children, and so on. But that doesn’t mean you should lose your identity. … Continue reading

What Women Do Better

Maybe you have seen the recent headline that women do many things better than men. Is that true? Well several studies have apparently come up with 12 things that women do better than men. Take a look and see what you think: We are cleaner We interview better We evolve hotter (which means we are getting better looking while men are staying the same) We are more likely to survive a car accident We are better at talking through our problems (seeking comfort) We are less likely to lose our job during a recession We are more likely to graduate … Continue reading

Appreciate Your Differences

Do you appreciate the differences between you and your spouse? Or do you find them to be more of an aggravation? It’s funny how when you first meet someone, those differences can be endearing but over time, they can become frustrating. Sometimes I have to catch myself falling prey to this. I can look at the differences between us and feel like he needs to change. But in reality, it is who he is. And just as I expect him to accept me, I need to do the same. Take the way we respond to stress. It is very different. … Continue reading

Balancing Each Other Out

They say that opposites attract and while I do believe that is mostly true, I also think that what this brings to a marriage is balance. Imagine if your spouse were EXACTLY like you. I don’t know about you but for me that is kind of a scary thought. My husband and I have very different personalities. He is much quieter, not as prone to speak up about things. Me, on the other hand, I have no problem offering my opinion. He is more laidback and I can be high-strung. The way I look at this is if we were … Continue reading

Mediation While Married

Here’s an interesting concept….a divorce hotel. Apparently this is a venture created by a Dutch entrepreneur, where couples can stay in a luxury hotel and in just three days end their marriage without a lawyer. They come to terms through mediation. There is an interesting thing about mediation when you are divorcing. I can’t help but think if any couple is able to successfully pull this off, why can’t they do the same while married and then stay married? I can never understand those stories where couples get along great after they have split up. Or sometimes you even hear … Continue reading

Disagreements in Parenting

One area that is well-known to be a source of contention for many married couples is the raising of the children. Oftentimes couples come from different types of homes and take from that into their own parenting. If the couple has a completely different idea on how to raise the children, this can cause strife that lasts for years. It can also become part of the reason that a marriage falls apart. Surprisingly, this has not been a huge issue for my husband and me. Despite our vastly different upbringing, we have gone into our parenting with the same mindset. … Continue reading

Getting Away With Your Spouse

It has been a very long time since my husband and I have gotten away together…without kids. So a few months ago we began planning for our upcoming 20th wedding anniversary. Our destination was Maine. We looked at cottages to stay in, entertainment (such as whale watching) and thought about eating our favorite food, seafood (only much fresher). We dreamed about stepping into the ocean. It was going to be a very romantic getaway. We even planned the dates we would go and my husband began looking at airfare. But then as the months began to pass by, medical bills … Continue reading

Give Boys Super Reading Powers

In many ways my 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old nephew are like two peas in a pod. They both enjoy racing Hot Wheels, collecting rocks and pretending they are wolves in the wild. However, when it comes to books, the path splits and while one willingly devours tales of whimsy, the other heads for the hills in hopes that a stray title doesn’t accidently fall in his lap. It is a well-known myth that girls excel at reading while boys, due in large part to their superior spatial awareness, kill at math. And so it goes with my two cuties. My … Continue reading