Thursday thirteen

asks, "...what you think is important in a marriage…"

1. Hold on loosely.
2. Remain your own person with your own interests and your own friends.
3. Forgiving transgressions is good; forgetting is of paramount importance.
4. Always encourage even if you need to temper the encouragement with calm and practical advice.
5. Work together when you can. If you don’t work well together on projects, see #4.
6. Remember that the wedding day is one day. Consider the real importance of momentary problems in the face of the fact that you’ll still be married tomorrow, and a year from now, and five years from now.
7. Institute a daily habit of thinking of your spouse’s good attributes.
8. Know when to talk and when to shut up.
9. Don’t listen to or repeat gossip about other people’s marriages.
10. Don’t spend all the money you have.
11. Know that being married is different from living together.
12. If he doesn’t take out the garbage, put down the toilet seat, put his dirty laundry in the hamper, just quietly do it yourself. There are things he does for you that you don’t even know about.
13. Let everyone know how glad you are you married him. Always.