“I’ve been married six times,” explained one psychologist….”to the same woman.”  He never got divorced but rather he was putting into words what many people experience in their marital relationship over the years.  He went on to say that his marriage “changed, grew and transitioned” so much over the years that he felt at times like he “was married to another woman!”

Most of you have likely experienced this in your own marital relationship.   All healthy marriages experience change and transition over the years.  This actually is what keeps the relationship alive, growing and vibrant.  One researcher describes marriage in 10 stages:  romance, disillusionment, mature love, passion, realization, rebellion, cooperation, reunion, explosion, and completion.  Others describe it in terms of newly married, middle years, and later years.  However you look at it, realizing that your marital relationship will change and go through different seasons is helpful.  It allows you to view your marriage as a “journey through life” or a process, and can keep you from misinterpreting challenging seasons as a “reason to divorce” or “falling out of love.”

What Have You Done for Your Marriage Today?

Your marriage may be in the midst of a change of season. You may feel like you’re in a challenging season or a joyful season.  Spend a few moments discussing this with your spouse.  Identify what the current season is like. What are a few challenges? What positives are you currently experiencing? What do you appreciate about this season?  And, is this a season that attending an NWA Healthy Marriages marital enrichment event would take your marriage from good to great?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 1:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.