by Reilley

Created on: December 29, 2009

HOW TO STAY MARRIED FOREVER

You have stood up and sworn to love each other,
You have married for better and for worse,
But if you want to stay married for life
Pay heed to the following verse:

Remember always that your mate comes first,
Before work, friends, children or career.
Behave as if your mate is the best thing in your life,
And the truth of that sentiment will become clear.

You are a team, so keep no hidden secrets.
Pool your money and share life’s issues.
Allow nothing and nobody to come between you,
And save your crying for a fresh box of tissues.

When you fight, as you must, always play fair,
Be careful not to say things you might regret.
Hurtful words might perhaps be forgiven
But they are extremely hard to forget.

Remember to flirt, to wink across a crowded room
Try to fall in love anew each and every day.
Remind each other of the reasons you are together,
Remember when you wanted it to be this way.

Treat each birthday, each anniversary or occasion
As a chance to create memories for when you are old.
The moment you cherish may not seem like much now,
But in the future they will be worth more than gold.

Never buy each other gifts for their practical sake,
Don’t give presents that sit forever on some shelf.
If she really wanted a new vacuum cleaner
She would have no trouble picking it out herself.

Pay your bills on time, and prepare a living will,
Get life insurance, hire an attorney and heed them.
They are not sexy or glamorous, or even inexpensive,
But one day you will wake up and you will need them.

Love your mate’s parents as if they were your own,
Never criticize your father-in-law, or his wife.
When your mate’s mother has a birthday, send a nice card,
Thanking her for giving birth to the love of your life.

Always listen to the pattern of your partner’s heart,
Never take the opportunity to criticize.
If you are right, keep quiet, the truth will prevail,
If you are wrong, be grown up and apologize.

When you tie the marriage knot, do not do it halfway,
Plan on staying married until the end of your days.
Life has a habit of surprising one and all,
So do not lose sight of each other through the haze.

Do not go to bed mad – stay up and fight!
Come to the finish and you will both be glad.
Either argue until you have thrashed it all out,
Or you have both forgotten why it was that you were mad.

Laugh together every day, as much as you can,
Laugh through tears, terror, worry and doubt.
If you can manage to laugh at yourselves with ease,
You will always have plenty to laugh about.

If you find yourself in a critical mood
Step back and take a momentary breather.
Never criticize your spouse in public,
And try not to do it in private, either.

Remember that in our darkest moments,
When we feel spurned by the powers up above –
When your spouse is at their least lovable,
That’s when they are most in need of your love.

Do not fall for the glib lie of perfectionism,
Such a thing does not truly exist in life.
If you can be content with what you already have
You will save yourself a world of strife.

Whisper when you argue, keep the volume low,
Never raise your voice unless you are on fire.
Let your lover long to hear your tender voice,
And let your sound always be one of desire.

Examine your relationship on a regular basis,
Like changing your oil when the pressure gets low.
And like your car, your marriage is always moving forward,
So steer it where you would like it to go.

Finally, be an interesting person, lead your own life,
Bring home stories at the end of the day.
For if your lover never knows what will happen next,
That is simply one more reason to want to stay.

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