Couples Who Have Been Committed For 10+ Years Explain How To Make A Relationship Last
“You’re a grown ass adult now. Act like one (in the things that matter). Occasionally you’ll parent each other in some way but on average you should both be pulling your weight.” — [deleted]
“People don’t change for people. If you change for them, or them for you all you are doing is planting the seeds of resentment. Change comes from within. Realize that and accept your partner as they are, if you cannot then leave now.” — majornerd
“Not trying to please one another constantly – sugarcoating bad news is out, secrets are out.” — Gargatua13013
“We don’t air our dirty laundry to our friends. We each have one or two trustworthy friends we can talk to to bounce ideas off of about arguments but usually we keep that to ourselves until it’s solved. We both realize that marriage isn’t always easy. It cycles like everything else. There are great times and there are horrible times. You can’t just leave when the crap hits the fan. For most relationships it will get better if you put in the work. Of course this isn’t for every situation, I’m talking average relationships.” — celica18l
“Communication. My wife and I talk about virtually everything. And time to ourselves. The time apart makes us appreciate the time together (and gives us stuff to talk about).” — 90lb_Balls
“Date night. Telling my wife every time we part or meet that I love her. We frequently kiss and hug.” — [deleted]
“Probably one of my favorite things about our relationship is that we know when to give each other space. At the very least, we text each other goodnight, and although I have my clingy moments, I know that when he’s having a busy day or needs a solid video game session, I can let him be and not have to talk to him every second. We love our freedom just as much as we love being together and it’s so important to find that balance.” — retrouvailles26
“Laugh. This is really important, because if you can’t laugh with and at each other, then life is dull. We make up stupid jokes, do stupid things to make each other laugh, and we laugh together at whatever we find funny. There are many nights when I make her laugh so hard she cries and is so tired she falls right to sleep.“ — twilightmoons
“Separate blankets. A good night’s sleep will help keep a lot of small problems from blowing out of proportion.” — geoffeaton
“Trust and loyalty, they go hand in hand and enable the other things. You’re a team working together, not in competition. Mostly.” — [deleted]
“Patience, tolerance, forgiveness, benefit of the doubt. Don’t assume malice straight off the bat. Don’t rush each other into anything. Be realistic, no one is perfect, not even you. Unless their personality did a 180 you knew what you were getting into when you got married/shacked up together.” – [deleted]
“Appreciating each other. We’ve been together 15 years, married 12. We make sure to acknowledge and savor everything the other does for us.” — Sporkalork