Inspiring Couples' Words

Inspiring CouplesWords are easy to manufacture.
 True and lasting love, however, is not so easily produced … or sustained. In a world of bogus advertising and broken promises, it is easy—even natural—to be a little skeptical of words.
Words don’t cost us much and only the speaker can fully know the intent behind them. But when our words are reinforced by our actions—day after day, year after year—words can begin to seem trustworthy again.
The quotes below come from real couples who have earned the right to their words. Each was nominated by their friends, family or co-workers as an ‘Inspiring Couple’ for giving them a reason to believe again in love. They have learned—and lived—their words of wisdom through years of joy, companionship … and trials.

Words to Live—And Love By
“Have respect for each other and be honest even in the little things. Always put the needs of others before your own, and don’t let your love die.” – Randy and Cheri Blackwood (married since 1979)
“The biggest stumbling block couples face is unmet expectations – children, responsibilities, finances, etc. The more a couple discusses their expectations for every area of life, the better they can predict where their differences will be and deal with them objectively.” – Bob and Annette Wallace (married since 1992)
 “Love’s passion is wonderful, but it’s just as important that you really like and respect the person you are about to make a lifetime commitment to … Couples should ask themselves: Would I be friends with this person even if we weren’t in love?” – Bill and Shirley McConnell (married since 1953)
 “Have open expectations; setting unrealistic expectations will cause you to fail. Be patient, build trust, learn to communicate and forgive.” – James and Nancy Lawson (married since 1973, shown above)
“You have to be committed and protect your marriage at all costs. There is nothing you can’t work through. Even if you don’t feel like loving your spouse on hard days, you have the power to lead your heart.” – Kevin and Amanda Johnson (married since 2003)
 “Show respect for each other … be supportive and work together as a team. Enjoy quality time together but allow each other the independence to do your own thing and pursue personal interests.” – Jesse and Anita Martinez (married since 1948)  “Live a positive life – it’s contagious. Have a sense of humor, respect each other, learn how to communicate well and remember why you fell in love.” – Matt and Kelly Allen (married since 1991)
“Honor your commitment. The most important commitment you should have on this earth is to each other.” – Jim and Robin Riley (married since 1968)

These couples are not selling anything. But they are buying something—the idea that love can endure and a relationship can truly grow richer over time. Without at least believing in the possibility of enduring love, a lasting relationship is nearly impossible to achieve. Perhaps you don’t put too much stock in promises of eternal love and faithfulness. Perhaps you shouldn’t. But perhaps we should put a little more faith in the evidence of words in action.
Before you dismiss the relationship “testimony” of credible couples, ask yourself what the consequences are for losing faith in the concept of lasting love. Be sure it is a price you are willing to pay—and one that you really need to pay in the first place. Everlasting love may be scarcer than we’d all like, but it’s not a fantasy either. We are grateful to couples like these for reminding us that some couples really do grow old … and wise together.

 Source: twoofus.org

ARE YOU LIKE MY SIBLINGS? TRUST AgAiN

My siblings avoid buying bread from the market, as they've been deceived into buying bread that's almost stale, a number of times.
Last Sunday afternoon, my mum said she was going to buy bread there, and a chorus of disapproval rose up from them.
Even though I had also been 'bitten' I didn't mind as I'm always open to giving others/things, second or more chances.
Dad reasoned with them that my mum's good at selecting fresh bread and all, but they didn't believe him.
They were of the opinion that until the bread was tasted, one couldn't prove it's freshness.
It was finally proven that mum got 2 perfect loaves!
Funny, but a lot of people are like them.
Some go through life expecting the same thing that once happened to them, to happen again.
Thinking in absolute terms, rather than relative terms, has become the order of the day.
Let me give an illustration of what I mean by thinking in absolute terms, rather than relative terms.
It's common knowledge that daughter-in-laws (DIL) are said not to get along well with their Mother-in-laws (MIL).
THINKING IN AN ABSOLUTE TERM: Now, if I got married with the determination that I have to battle my MIL before I can have a peaceful marriage, then I'll hold on to that mindset, not minding if my MIL is a wonderful woman or a difficult woman, who can be softened, greatly, by care. Instead of this giving me the peaceful marriage I crave, I'll get the exact opposite, especially if the woman falls into either of the 2 aforementioned categories.
THINKING IN A RELATIVE TERM: If I go into marriage holding on to the belief that despite the widely-touted belief that DIL and MIL are like oil and water, I will get the best from the relationship once I do the needful. A lot of people may come and feed me with "you're not going to have a peaceful marriage because you haven't put your MIL in their place" but the exact opposite would happen based on factors I'll discuss another day.
Based on the above illustration, thinking in an absolute term involves "I've been IRREPARABLY hurt by bad friends, so I WON'T have friends anymore"; while thinking in a relative term involves "Even though I've been BADLY hurt by bad friends, I know good friends abound, so I'll be careful not to choose bad friends next time, and if I do, I choose to choose, again".
There's someone hurting, who's reading this post; I ask that you give TRUST a chance, again.
Give Life a chance, again!
Give Love a chance, again!
Give Laughter a chance, again!
Cheers.