Good Marriage

Every little girls dream is to have that picture perfect wedding. They want to have that big white dress that sparkles every which way she moves, six or seven bridesmaids, the huge beautiful cake, all the gifts, your daddy giving you away and last but definitely not least, the love of your life, your "Prince Charming." I don't think that I can recall a happier day in my life than my wedding day. My life long childhood dream finally came true. Most people who do take that step to get married want to have a loving and successful marriage. As you may know the first few months are peaches and cream, a couple will often feel like their marriage will never have any problems. They assume that they will always be as passionate as they are then; that they will have a good marriage forever. However, as many married couples discover, having a good marriage does take work. Much time and energy must be devoted to a marriage in order to make it last. In my opinion and personal experience I am going to write about five of the most important characteristics that I think contribute to a loving and healthy marriage.

Communication between each other in a marriage is a must. In my opinion communication amongst each other is the most important way to have a good marriage. This is true in every aspect of a good marriage. A good marriage is one in which the couple can communicate about every issue, including children, work, household management, school, goals, there relationship and much more. Couples need to be able to discuss how they are feeling, both in terms of how they feel about one another but also in terms of how they are feeling about other things in life. This does not mean that they will always agree on every issue; but it does mean that each is willing to listen to the other, and to discuss their points of view. Good communication between each other makes a healthy, loving and all-around good marriage.

Friendship and companionship is what keeps a marriage going. To always know that you have a faithful companion and a best friend is the best feeling in the world. Respect and caring are two characteristics in being a good companion and best friend. In an episode of "Dr. Phil" the show topic called "Respecting your spouse," Dr. Phil quoted "If you want a good friend, be a good friend," he also said to "Ask yourself what kind of friend you are being to your mate?" Before people commit to a relationship, I think that it is very important to establish a friendship first. Although I am not saying this from experience considering the fact that my husband and I were living with each other within one week of our friendship, I recommend it because of some of the difficult tasks that my husband and I have faced. Coincidentally, it is important to identify what areas are of shared interest. An essential part of this also involves spending time together doing these activities. Ask yourself what you enjoy doing with your friends, whether it be talking about silly things or sharing a good joke together. Now apply that same openness to your own relationship.

A desire to please and support your spouse is based on fulfillment of ones needs. Marriage usually occurs because two individuals want their needs to be fulfilled by their potential spouse. Spouses feel that they are being supported when their needs are met. The importance in this characteristic is knowing and caring whether or not