Marital Gratitude

I missed Wednesday by a couple of days, but I'm making good on my one post a week, so far!  Yesterday was Thanksgiving and for the last week or so I've been mulling over what I am thankful for this year.  It's not hard to look around at my life and rattle off the long list of what I have, have achieved and who is in my life.  I am lucky, fortunate, humbled and beyond grateful for the full life I lead and all the gifts that have been bestowed on me.  

Lately I've been researching (read "Googling & Pinning") how to have a happy/good/long marriage.  If I'm going to do this whole marriage thing, I want to make sure that it lasts, is fulfilling and is the best it can be, for us.  Anything worth doing is worth doing right!  With that being said, I'm a big believer in making our relationship work for us and us alone.  I like to read marriage advice and to ask people that we know what advice they have for us.  Fletch and I discuss it and see if it is of value to us.  Sometimes it is and other times, it's a nice sentiment, but doesn't quite fit.  I believe that as individuals in the relationship change and age, that the relationship will adapt, if you work at it.  "Marriage" and "Love" are verbs, actions, ways of living, not things.  I won't just "get married", but I'll be living my marriage, working on my marital relationship for the rest of my life.  It's important to me to be the best wife and companion that Fletch has in this life.  To support him, help him grow, encourage him, to not take him for granted and to love him unconditionally; these are my goals in life.  

I've been considering the link between gratitude and happiness.  That if you take stock in your life often and are thankful for what you have, you will be happier.  Last night we were watching the Thanksgiving Evening NFL Football game and were inundated with commercial after commercial for Black Friday and Christmas/Holiday advertising.  Buy this car, buy this new tech device, buy this beer, buy this new drug so that you can be happy or make someone else happy.  Buy, buy, buy instead of give, give, give back.  Giving to others, not a new car, but truly fulfilling someone else's needs and desires not only helps that person, but gives you, in return, feelings of deep pleasure and lasting happiness.  I believe that the same goes for marital happiness.  Give first, then your needs will be met by the other.  Love first, love deeply, give often and give again to your spouse.  In return you will receive a deeper love in return, more than you can imagine.  As we begin this holiday season I am thinking of ways that I can give back to others in a meaningful way and how I can gear up to be the best, happiest, and fulfilling wife to Fletch.

Happy Holidays!

Future Mrs. Fletcher