3 Truths About Love and Marriage

Love isn’t all Hallmark moments (the cards or the movies!), but having a loving marriage is one of the most fulfilling relationships we can have.

Here are three truths I’m learning about love and marriage.

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1.  If it’s cultivated, love grows.  It’s been over 23 years since we stood at the marriage altar.  I really loved my husband that day, but the love I have for him now is so much deeper and richer than it was back then.  I know more about him – his character, his strengths, his weaknesses – and with that knowledge has come a greater appreciation for him.  Doing life together means working through disagreements, planning for our future, sharing disappointments, and having fun together, which are just some of the elements that have helped our love grow.

2.  Love is so much more than a feeling.  That mushy, romantic, emotional feeling – while it has its place! – isn’t what keeps you going when you deal with a job loss or sit beside your husband before a surgery or grieve together over the loss of a loved one.  That love is full of dedication and commitment, a decision of the soul to be there for each other no matter what.

3.  Love takes work.  Love isn’t easy; it can be messy and involves the hard work of self-sacrifice.  It’s a daily action of putting my husband’s needs ahead of mine (or at least trying to) and working together for what’s best for both of us.

What other truths are you learning about love and marriage?