| Marriage is serious business. After all, for most people | | | | 3. If you are a woman: do not expect your husband to |
| the person we marry is someone with whom we | | | | change after marriage: |
| share our home, money, and love - and even our kids! | | | | Women, be honest with yourselves: if you are like |
| And, marriage is forever - or at least that is how most | | | | most women, when you married your husband you |
| people intend it to be when they get married. Most | | | | had all sorts of specific expectations about ways he |
| married people spend a significant amount of their | | | | would become an even better or more pleasing |
| personal time in close proximity to their spouses. | | | | person post-marriage. This is just a huge fantasy, so |
| In order to take a lighter view on the serious business | | | | you need to let this notion go! Of course, married men |
| of marriage, I have collected some of my favorite | | | | do change over time. But, such change is not always |
| funny bits of folk wisdom and advice on the subject of | | | | necessarily for the better, and it is very unlikely that the |
| how to keep your marriage healthy, healthy, and | | | | things a woman dislikes most about her husband are |
| strong. So, here is some funny marriage advice to | | | | going to magically go away. The best advice for |
| make your marriage stronger: | | | | women is to not expect your man to change and to |
| 1. Don't date anyone you wouldn't marry: | | | | try to accept him for who he is. |
| This one is really more of a comment on how to | | | | 4. If you are a man: do not expect your wife not to |
| conduct oneself before marriage. For most people, | | | | change after marriage: |
| dating is as much a way to have fun as it is to find a | | | | Calling all men: when you married that perfect little |
| life mate. After all, dating often includes going out on | | | | bride of yours, you formed a mental picture in your |
| the town, having some good food, maybe a bit of | | | | mind of what she was (or what you imagine her to |
| dancing - doing things that are outside of the ordinary, | | | | be). As time passes, you may have noticed that the |
| hum-drum of pattern daily life. But, this piece of advice | | | | gap between the person your wife is today and that |
| implies something important about dating: it can lead to | | | | mental image of how she "used to" be is getting larger |
| something much more serious. If you go out on date | | | | and larger. Fact is, most men start reminiscing about |
| after date with someone about whom you are not | | | | the way things were (or they way they thought things |
| necessarily crazy (but are just doing it to have a bit of | | | | were) with their wives before they got married, |
| fun), the strategy could backfire on you. Things might | | | | lamenting the ways she has changed since then. Here |
| get serious before realize it, and you could end up | | | | is a little piece of advice: embrace the changes she |
| compromising and marry the wrong person. | | | | has gone through and enjoy the ride! |
| 2. Don't fight about money - there is never enough to | | | | 5. Never have breakfast together: |
| go around anyway: | | | | This last one really hits home with me. Neither my wife |
| As most married couples will tell you, money is one of | | | | or I are morning people. When we get up each |
| the biggest sources of conflict within a marriage. | | | | morning, we need to give each other as wide a berth |
| Money - and how we handle it - is so personal and no | | | | as possible, lest we risk getting our heads removed by |
| two people view it in exactly the same way. Combine | | | | the grumpy monster in the room. That means staying |
| that with the fact that most married couples share | | | | out of each other's way for at least the first half hour |
| their money; that is, they add to and take from the | | | | in the morning. And, of course, having breakfast |
| same "pot" on a regular, ongoing basis. And, for most | | | | together immediately after getting up in the morning is |
| people, there just never seems to be enough money | | | | completely out of the question! |
| to do all of the things we want to do. The solution? | | | | Making a marriage successful requires a lot of hard |
| Realize that there will probably always be a bone to | | | | work and patience. At the same time, keeping a good |
| pick between you regarding how each of you handles | | | | sense of humor about your marriage can actually be |
| money - but that is no reason to fight. Just agree to | | | | very good medicine. |
| disagree on the small stuff and move on. | | | | |