Saturday, March 5, 2011

It Strikes Me Funny: Pt 3 - Final tips for a happy marriage

The fate of many marriages likely hung in the balance while I penned the remainder of my tips for a long and deliriously happy union.

As well, I was serious about Tip 5, i.e., when a new purchase enters the house, something old must leave.
Odds are, if you don’t follow it, you’ll trip over 3 or 4 extra Ottomans while walking your ice cream toward the downstairs freezer.

However, when I said “something old must leave,” I was not referring to one’s spouse.


[“Think of the long haul - in a positive way.”]

Tip 6 - Do not add an item to your partner’s To Do List unless a fair trade has been worked out in advance. You’ve heard of the Civil War, right?


["Who says we gotta paint the fence by Friday?"]

Tip 7 - Use encouraging, supportive language with your partner everyday. I’ve found that “You decide. I just want you to be happy” works very well.

Tip 8 - Leave critical language for the lawn mower that won’t start. (What you say in the shed, stays in the shed).

Tip 9 - Make important decisions together, or as I like to say - so I will - live life on the same page. For example, say you want to build a large bookcase in the living room on a Saturday night. Order the lumber only after you get the thumbs up.

Tip 10 - Hug one another everyday. If you have to, make up a reason. (Hugs can lead to slow dancing and tunes by The Everly Brothers).


I’ll end here knowing there are 1000s of tips and bits of pithy advice that can be shared with one another.

“Think of the long haul - in a positive way.”

“Smiles don’t take days off.”

“If money is an issue, cancel cable TV and turn Friday night into a date night.”

Really, the list could go on forever, which is one of the points of marriage, isn’t it?

Author’s Note: Send me any tips or bits of advice that make perfect sense to you. I’ll add the best to the list at another time.

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I tip my hat to Jim and Agnes McCauley, who celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary eight days ago.

Please click here to read It Strikes Me Funny: Pt 2 - Gord’s tips for a long, happy marriage

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