By Commitment. It’s a big word and holds a lot of meaning. It’s a word I tend to shy away from in many areas of my life. Commitment can often give me anxiety if I’m being honest which is why I have found myself breaking a lot of commitments in the past. But one thing I’ve learned through sticking to my guns and following through with any commitment I’ve made… it’s without a doubt 100% worth it. The struggle, the consistency, the good, the bad… it makes it that much sweeter in the end.
This is how I would describe marriage to be. My husband and I have been through a lot together in our ten (WHAT!) years of marriage. In fact, we dated for about 4 years before we got married which makes me realize that we’ve been together for (next year) half of my life! Thats nuts! So much life spent with one person means that they’ve seen you through the good and bad and everything in between. I can honestly say that I love my husband more now than I did when we got married. Sticking through our trials and learning to get through them together has taught us a whole new meaning of love and appreciation for one another. It’s not something you can really put into words unless you experience it yourself.
We aren’t perfect but I definitely think these five tips have helped us stay connected and committed to one another in our marriage:
- Don’t sweat the small stuff – This is probably my number one piece of advice for marriage. And most likely because I was the one to always get caught up in the small things 😉 Learning to let go of the petty stuff has really lessened our tension and number of arguments. Girls- this is for you. We can be way to petty about the small things. Learn to let them go. Give grace as often as you can. Choose wisely what you want to “throw” at him. It will make a big difference!
- Give each other space – I love my husband. So much so that I want to spend every waking moment with him 🙂 Really. I’m that annoying person that wants to be with their spouse 24/7. But he can’t handle me 24/7 lol – and really, it’s not healthy for either of us. You know those Middle/High School days when you and your BFF loved each other so much but would also fight? Why was that?! Most likely because you were spending every moment together. After spending so much time with anyone, it’s normal to get on each other’s nerves. Give each other some space and be okay with allowing it on both ends.
- Communicate!!!!!! Oh man… I’m going to guess that this is probably the number one issue in marriages these days. Communication is so vital, yet so different for men and women. Throw in differing personalities to the mix and it’s a big ol’ mess of confusion. We have grown so much in this area because we’ve continued to work on it. My advice is this… go back to #1. If it’s truly something you can’t get over, MAKE SURE you talk to him about it. And vice versa. Don’t let things get swept under the rug. Don’t do it! It only makes for bigger arguments when it decides to come out. And it will come out.
- Pray together – by now most of you know that my husband and I are Christians. This is a huge aspect in our marriage. I truly believe we are who we are today because of God. He’s strengthened us in so many ways and has helped me see things in our marriage I don’t think I would have seen otherwise. Praying together and as a family gives us so much hope, strength, and insight. It’s our foundation that can’t be shaken.
- Trust/Respect one another – these go hand in hand. These two things are so vital in any relationship if you want it to grow and remain healthy. At the low of our marriage, I didn’t respect or trust my husband. I hate even typing that out as it makes me so sad to admit that this was our reality. Disrespect only leads to more destruction. If you’re there- don’t lose hope! Take it from someone who has been there that there is and can be brighter days ahead! See a counselor, talk to a friend, or simply talk to your husband!
I partnered with Simon G. Jewelry on this post as they graciously made and provided my wedding ring bands (seen in all of the pictures below)…. it came out PERFECT! It’s exactly how I envisioned it to be and I love that I still get to keep the personal meaning behind my ring. Travis picked out my ring and completely surprised me (meaning he picked it out all by himself – good job babe!). I really wanted to keep my wedding ring for the symbolism behind it, yet add an addition to celebrate ten years of marriage together.
Ten down and fifty to go!
Thank you Simon G. Jewelry!
Thank you to Simon G. Jewelry for sponsoring this post. All opinions are completely my own.
