If he is divorced or was with another woman for a very long time, you naturally developed a friendship with her—a friendship that still exists. Imagine how betrayed she’ll feel when you marry her ex.
You know your friend. If this is a childhood buddy, then you know her family history, her traumas, and her insecurities. You know when she is reacting to a relationship problem and when she’s just had a personal problem triggered. Keep all of that in mind.
The empty nest may come at the same time as middle age (which is a terribly perfect storm) or, if you’re lucky, will come after you’ve gotten through the middle age dilemma, and are stronger for it. That doesn’t mean that having an empty nest isn’t difficult. It’s just you, and your partner again—plus the realization that so much of your identities and schedules were tied to raising children.
So, you just got all of these fabulous wedding gifts. A food processor. Silverware. A gravy boat. A toaster oven. Aaaaand your roommate is using them. But, what were you supposed to do? Hide them all away? Where? Plus, you want to use those things, too, so they’re on the counter.
When you tell them how happy you are with your partner, and how much fun you have together, they give you a passive aggressive comment like, “That’s nice—but having fun isn’t everything in life.”
Fans of the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding” are very familiar with the old, “If we’re both single by this age, let’s get married” pact. But for the younger readers who didn’t see this (classic!) film, this pact involves two platonic friends who agree to marry each other if they haven’t found anyone else to […]
It’s very rare that a marriage goes from perfect to failing overnight. Those stories in which a woman finds out her husband is a secret polygamist or laundering money are few and far between—that’s why they make for great true crime show episodes. But in real life, marriages end because one type of argument (that […]
There are some couples who have already gone through a lot of hardship before walking down the aisle, so they know they can survive anything together. But most couples get to face pretty smooth sailing until saying, “I do”. Sure, they’ll have their lover’s quarrels, but the mere fact that they were able to plan […]
It’s not that I don’t trust my husband because I definitely do, but I wouldn't put our marriage in that predicament.
Instead of looking at someone’s pay stub to determine if he is eligible for a lifetime commitment, it’s better to look at those things about him that won’t change should his company fire him tomorrow.
For as long as I’ve known them, I’ve never addressed them by name. If this sounds impossibly awkward, that’s because it is.