Summer in Michigan often means vacation or weekend getaways to one of the abundant lakes in this great state. Marriage often means doing activities that you don’t love, but that your partner does. Fishing on the Great Lakes Every day for two weeks, they get up early in the morning and head out on their […]
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The season for mowing lawns is upon us here in Michigan. Here’s one way to make a routine chore interesting – creating lawn art! Lawn Art He calls it lawn art as he raises and lowers the lawn mower and creates a checkerboard design on our front lawn. I call it too much time on […]
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(Guest Post by Brad Flory on how he has learned the art of “falling on your sword” to keep his marriage strong.) “Wow, your hair looks nice!” I said. A scornful look crossed her face. “I had it cut and colored two days ago,” she said. “And you didn’t notice until now.” “If I didn’t […]
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Plan carefully the marriage experts had told us. Be careful during those early years they advised. Whether you know it or not, you are building habits that will be hard to change later. If only we had listened then, if only we had been more intentional about everything we did and said. Instead we were […]
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In one sense, this was a private moment, shared with friends and family members. In another sense, no marriage is entirely private, for marriage itself is the basic institution of society, one that has been the object of a broad social/political debate in recent months. So this private moment serves nicely as the affirmation of […]
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Step by step, without our even seeing it, we walk away from each other. Step by step, further afield we stray, until it seems we are observing each other from two different worlds. How do we get back together? How do we learn to walk together again? Step by step, one step at a time. […]
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They refer to them as the “Leafies”—the surge of tourists coming to New England in the fall to enjoy the autumn colors. For years I had this on my bucket list, until I looked around me and realized—it’s hard to imagine the color could be any better than what we have here in Michigan with […]
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Someone once wrote a very popular book called, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. The premise is sound, but a better title would have been, Men are from Monster Truck Shows, Women are from Pampered Chef Parties. Once we understand there are differences, we can bridge them. Brad Reflections: What title would you […]
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They met in grade school, exchanging insults on the playground. He pulled her hair. She stuck her gum on his seat in school, where it neatly lodged on his pants. They were together in high school, sharing triumphs and disasters, hopes and dreams, romance and heartbreaks, always remaining “just friends.” Then they went away to […]
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Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and when attending one of the many Irish Festivals popping up all over Michigan. In particular the one in Muskegon that goes on for four days of non-stop music, Irish beer and whiskey, Irish games and dancing. Together we celebrate all things Irish. If you marry an Irishman, […]
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