August is my husband and I’s 33rd anniversary and that has prompted me to think about what makes a marriage work. To me, being supportive is one of the most important criteria for a happy and long-lasting relationship.
I had struggled with depression for most of my life and had tried to commit suicide a dozen times. Every time instead of not understanding and getting angry at me, my husband had been patient and gentle. When I was admitted to the hospital numerous times for severe depression episodes, he was always by my side, and leaving me had never crossed his mind.
I was addicted to alcohol and addiction is a common reason why marriages ended in divorce. But instead of divorcing me, he patiently stood by me and showed his support while I went through a recovery program.
Of course, being supportive is not the only criterion for a happy and long-lasting relationship. Here, I would like to share with you a few other criteria that I know from speaking with others and from Googling.
Accept who your partner is
It is never wise to have the idea that your partner must change certain things if they love us. Accepting and loving who they are important because it takes time for couples to change and grow.
Be honest
Honesty is a key component of a healthy relationship because it builds trust, and when trust is there, you look for the good in each other. Here, I want to emphasize that displaying honesty doesn’t mean you’ve to reveal every thought to your partner. Sometimes, there are good reasons to keep our thought to ourselves for example we want to withhold information that may be hurtful.
Compromise
In any relationship, we are bound to have different opinions that lead to disagreement. Compromise is the best solution to settle differences instead of stonewalling or using other means. The goal is that compromise is mutual benefit, and it helps to strengthen relationships.
Understand your partner’s love language
We know that it’s difficult to communicate if we encounter people speaking a different language unless we know or learn their language. The same applies to love languages. Understanding your own love language, we well as your partner’s love language can help strengthen the relationship. The 5 love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
Final Thoughts
In today’s society, divorce is common but it’s still possible to have happy long-lasting relationships. Do you want to share with us your thoughts on how to have a happy, long-lasting relationship?