A card and candy bar were waiting for me on the front seat of the passenger side when I opened the truck door after work, yesterday. My husband stopped at the store on his way to pick me up. He walked down the aisle where the greeting cards are. This card jumped out at him, and he was compelled to buy it for me. It is something we have been saying a lot to each other lately.

Several months ago, we went through a difficult time in our marriage. It was a bit of a mid-life crisis. My husband’s forgiving heart, however, allowed us to “fall together” rather than “fall apart”. He is a good, good man. As we continue to improve our communication skills and spend quality time together, our marriage becomes stronger and we feel closer as a couple than we have in a long time.

Counseling has been helpful in directing our communication efforts and allowing us to both open up about our honest feelings, no matter how difficult it may be for the other person to hear. We listen to each other and strive to understand one another’s feelings by repeating back what we think the other person is conveying. It gives the one speaking an opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding or confirm the listener’s correct understanding of what is meant.

A loving, non-judgmental approach to our conversations gives a safe space for us to open our hearts and share deep feelings with one another. One important thing we have learned is that we can’t always control what our heart feels, but we can control our actions and the direction of our thoughts.

My gratitude for my husband’s willingness to work together on our communication skills and spend quality time together, is immense. Without that, I don’t know that either of us could honestly say, as his sweet gift to me indicated…

I Love our Life!

Together!