On her 11th anniversary, my friend Rebecca Geller shared the comments below on Facebook. There are clues here about how some marriages succeed, so I asked for permission to post what she shared. Rebecca said yes.
Eleven years ago today we walked down the aisle and said “I do”. We were young, in love, and child-free (oh the carefree days!). As we celebrate our anniversary today, here are 11 things we have learned in our 11 years of marriage:
1. Going to bed angry is 100% OK. Sleep can do wonders for an argument.
2. Always buy a king-sized bed and a car with dual-climate control.
3. Babysitters, friends, and relatives who will watch our kids so we can have a night out are worth their weight in gold.
4. Waking up at 7 a.m. on a weekend is “sleeping in.”
5. Wine helps to tolerate all the whining in our house.
6. Our marriage was strengthened on June 26, 2015 when the Supreme Court recognized that every American should have the right to marry the love of their life.
7. Sometimes just listening is more important than offering solutions to the other spouse’s problems.
8. Even big extroverts like us need time alone.
9. Spending time with friends is important.
10. Having a child in the hospital is one of the scariest experiences possible — but has taught us to turn towards each other and brought us closer together as we help our kids through medical emergencies.
11. Raising 3 kids, keeping a marriage strong, and balancing careers truly takes a village. I am incredibly thankful and blessed for our village of people who love and support us every day.
Happy anniversary to my hubbie! One day we will sleep in. – Rebecca
Rebecca Geller is President/CEO of The Geller Law Group. She is a seasoned lawyer committed to providing affordable, high-quality legal services to businesses and families. Before launching her own law firm in 2011, Rebecca worked as a corporate lawyer at a major international law firm representing Fortune 500 companies. Her experience is varied, including work with wills/trusts, corporate, trademark, family law, litigation, housing, political law, employment, and non-profits. Rebecca’s clients include families, individuals, and businesses from all walks of life. You can find The Geller Law Group online at thegellerlawgroup.com.
Afterword: Many marriages go through difficult times when one or both spouses experience personal or job-related changes or when children get older. Some couples get through the hard times well on their own. Others find it very hard to talk together about how to handle the changes that are happening. In such cases, it may be a good idea to work for a little while with a family mediator. You don’t need a therapist because your marriage is not sick. You just need to work together to rewrite the rules of your marriage now that circumstances have changed.
