by Rose Calder

Created on: June 04, 2009

Marriage, like any other aspect of life, is subject to change. While the fundamentals may remain the same - you and your spouse love one another, and have made a lifetime commitment to one another - that does not stop outside influences from having their effect on the both of you. It's natural for that to happen, and as long as you both are prepared for the eventual changes, there is nothing the two of you can't weather together.

After all, all the preparation you need was given to you in those very vows you spoke on your wedding day. Let's take a quick look at them once more, to examine how they help prepare us for the eventual fluctuations in marriage.

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

All living things ail, but as the two of you grow older, your health will fade along with your youth, leaving you both more susceptible to illness. A cold that you once would have been able to shake off within a few days becomes a much longer affair, and for the first time in your lives your medicine cabinet actually has more medicine in it than hair care or skin products.

Whether the malady is temporary or chronic, there will be good health days and bad health days. Take the good days for what they are and live them to the fullest. On the bad days, give your spouse the support they need, whether that is making them chicken soup with oyster crackers or holding their hand in the examination room. Just remember that this too will pass, and that you should treat your spouse the way you yourself would want to be treated in the same circumstances.

FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER

Of all the arguments married couples are liable to have, fights about money are the most common, particularly when money is at a premium. As many couples have experienced in this volatile economy, sometimes money is not as plentiful as one would like, and everyone must tighten their belts a little in order to stay in the black. If you and your spouse are used to leading a more luxurious lifestyle, the pinch might feel more like a punch in the throat, causing the two of you to lash out at one another. But whether it's just a momentary time or want or filing for bankruptcy, this will not last. It's just not as easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

When it comes to the lean times, make a point of keeping some money aside for fun as well as taking care of the necessities. It doesn't have to be a lot; even going out to dinner at a cheap restaurant can do wonders for a morale that's been bruised

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