Marriage Friendship - Building A Real PartnershipMany experts agree that marriage friendship is key to a happy and healthy marriage. I can tell you based on research and personal observation that often times it's not whether a couple fights or not but rather what are the strengths and bonds between them that keep them connected and engaged. In other words, building a friendship is an important ingredient in a maintaining a strong marriage.Your friendship with your spouse should be a living and growing relationship so make sure that you keep working at it. Marriage friendship is not something that you can just let exist without putting forth an effort to make it better. Now, there are obviously many challenges and obstacles that you will face that will test your marriage friendship. It's important that you both stay committed to staying friends, even when the rough times come and you really don't have the same feelings you once had for each other. Studies have shown that couples that are able to build a strong friendship more easily weather life's storms, can better resolve conflict and can enjoy a fulfilling sex life. Marriage Friendship TipsTreat your spouse like a friend - Sometimes because of the struggles and disappointments in the marriage, spouses treat their co-workers, neighbors and friends better than their spouse. You should both strive to show unconditional love toward each other and treat each other like valued treasure. Make sure you don't let petty arguments or disagreements lead you to mistreat your spouse. Your goal each and every day should be to treat your spouse as well or better than you do your friends and acquaintances.Be your spouse's biggest supporter - There are times in your marriage when what your spouse really needs is your friendship and support. He or she may not need or want you to do anything but support a goal or desire that they have or encouragement to get over an obstacle. It's very straining on a marriage if one spouse is not committed to being present mentally and emotionally in time of need. It can cause a deep divide and take years to recover from so make sure that you are there for your spouse when he or she needs you. Be a caring partner - In a happy and healthy marriage, both spouses are committed to providing a safe environment for their partner. When your spouse is down, and needs a hug or shoulder to lean on, make sure that you fill this need. Don't force your spouse to turn to a friendship outside of your home to find love and support. Make sure that you don't always try to offer advice or pass judgment or criticize your spouse in an effort to solve the problem. It's your job to make your spouse feel safe coming to you just to get some love. Be a trustworthy partner - One of the quickest ways to ruin a friendship is to betray a friend's confidence. Your spouse no doubt has shared some things with you that only you have been entrusted with. Being a trusted spouse means that your spouse can feel confident that secrets shared with you in private will remain confidential, regardless of whether you think it is important or not. Marriage friendship relies on trust and integrity. Don't ruin your friendship by betraying your spouse. For more advice on building a strong marriage friendship, read here; Improving Marriage Friendship |