marriage advice

QUESTION: I've been married for 18 years and my husband and I haven't had sex in over a year. He refuses to talk about it, except to say that I'm going through menopause and that we have a small child. He never openly discusses his feelings. I've been seeing a counselor (he refuses to go) but am becoming increasingly worried the marriage may end. How can I get him to open up and talk about this Read more...

"Whoso loves believes the impossible." -- Elizabeth Barrett BrowningMonogamy won't last. I know this because I read it in no less a journal than Foreign Policy last summer. And, man, it's been stickin' in my craw ever since. Those experts listed monogamy as a convention that has outlived its usefulness. They predict that monogamy, like the British monarchy and American political parties Read more...

In marriage, what is it you want? For most people, it's to feel loved, valued, safe and trusted, said John M.R. Covey, who is director of marriage and family for Franklin Covey, and who with his wife, Jane, has given seminars on marriage around the world. How do you achieve that goal? Three things can help, he said: character, communication and companionship. Covey likes to start with the Read more...

QUESTION: A year ago, my husband and I separated for 10 months. He was giving all his attention to his job, and I felt neglected.During that time, I had a passionate affair with another man. The sex was out of this world, but the relationship didn't last as I never felt an emotional connection with him.Now, my husband and I are back together, and the sex is better than it used to be, but I crave Read more...

Columbus, Ohio, lawyers Lee Grogan, Jr., and wife, Lynn, specialize in divorce. But at home, they specialize in marriage -- 23 years of it. Is it a contradiction for a divorce lawyer to have a solid marriage? Not in Columbus. Lee Grogan, Sr., and wife, Jane, have been married 51 years. Milton and Elsa Hirsch have gone 50 years. John and Vicky Partin, Seth and Linda Harp, and Leslie Read more...

Romance dies. When you find the love of your life, you'll both settle into a daily routine of financial, household and child-rearing responsibilities, forgetting you are a couple. Romance will only last through the initial crush of the relationship. After that you and your partner will start taking each other for granted. All true, right? Wrong. It doesn't have to be this way. There are many Read more...

See also: dating, love, marriage, marriage advice, passion, relationship, romance

There's a joke about marriage: "Where does sex take place in a marriage? Early on, anywhere and everywhere; later on, in the bedroom; and finally, in the hallway when you and your spouse walk by each other and say, 'Screw you!'"Many married couples laugh at jokes about how marital bliss turns into blisters not just because they're funny, but because they ring true. Understanding these Read more...

In today's world, "Leave It to Beaver" stereotypes for men and women in partnerships should only exist in Nick at Nite reruns. Yet many women still don't understand their household's finances and aren't actively involved in managing money matters. To achieve true equality in a partnership, both individuals must have knowledge of and involvement in their partnership's assets and Read more...

So let's say your best friend is divorced and is now having a steamy affair. All you hear are the great details of passionate encounters lasting from morning to night. You, however, have been in a relationship for years and, compared to your friend's, your love feels lifeless and your life feels loveless. Do you feel like you're missing out? Are you jealous? These feelings are normal, but Read more...

Newsflash: Marriage isn't all peaches and cream. We all go through tough times, but it's how you get through these bumps that can make or break your relationship. Here are 10 ways to make it through and come out divorce-free. 1. Hate it, not them. When you're ticked off at your partner and becoming more angry by the minute, break eye contact and mutter strongly to the floor, "I hate Read more...