I'm so grateful for my family and for my sweet Jason and the joy that he's brought into my life. He came at just the right time. My life has always been overflowing with blessings. I'm so grateful for modern medicine and for a healthy body that is able to heal itself and recover from illness and that I'm able to move around and do things independently. I'm grateful that I've always had a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head. I'm grateful that my parents have always made the holidays and birthdays so much fun but have always taught me the important things like putting others before ourselves and being grateful for what we have while not caring so much about material things, or things that don't last.
A word of advice to you younger people out there; being engaged is the trial period before you get married. Granted, I haven't been engaged too long, nor have I ever been married. BUT. I have learned that it is ESSENTIAL that the person you decide to spend the rest of your life with be your very best friend.
Now when I say best friend, I don't mean that one person that you hang out with a lot and gossip with and just call them your best friend for some sort of status reason or just so you have someone to take pictures with for your myspace.
I mean someone who you can discuss all sorts of issues with. Politics, religion, your own sort of philosophies, your fears, your pet peeves, your passions--good and bad, your secrets, your regrets, your goals, your deepest desires. This person should be able to agree with you on MOST things. Not everything, but MOST is great. This person should support you in everything you want to do with your life and help you with your weaknesses. They should bring out the best in you, and validate your feelings.
so this may be really random... but recently, i've been interested in marriage research & i was reading a book last night by a scientist who's been studying marriage for 20 or 30 years to get evidence into why marriages are happy or why they fail. anyway, i'm not finished with the book yet, but he says the contrary to most marriage advice (communication is the most important thing, learn conflict resolution, marry someone with similar interests, etc), the research has shown that the most important thing for a marriage to be happy & last is that it be based on deep friendship.
ReplyDeleteanyway when i read it, i thought about this post of yours so i thought i'd share :) looks like you're on the right track! i wish you two the best :)