The Best Marriage Advice I've Ever Heard

Marriage is the one of the best things I've ever done. I tell my spouse all the time that being married is the best! I truly mean it. I love being married.

I've loved it from day one. In fact, I remember a very dear friend asking me shortly after I'd been married if it was hard adjusting to living with my new spouse. I told her it wasn't at all. I still stand by that today. I'll admit dating to marriage is an entire new world but not one that took much adjusting for me. 

Three kids later I'm pretty sure I love being married a billion times more. Why? Because I need it. I need my spouse to help me be a good mother. I need his support and encouragement. I need his parenting skills to raise our kids in such a fast paced world. We need one another. 

I'm not saying our marriage isn't without disagreements or sadness but what I am saying is that we love one another. We do our best to share that frequently. Much of our marital success can be attributed to that love but I also attribute a lot of it to a piece of advice I heard at a close friend's wedding. 

Shortly after the marriage ceremony, the bride's father stood up and offered a few words. His words forever changed how I view marriage and family. It was as if he was speaking directly to me to prepare me for the next step in my marriage with more than one child. At the time I was 32 weeks pregnant with our second son and not really sure how I was going to balance it all. 

As he spoke he directed his remarks to the bride and groom. He told them that there would be times when other things in life would have to take a backseat to their marriage. He told them they would need to prioritize and put their marriage first. Things like jobs, friends, hobbies and even children would need to take a backseat to the success of their marriage. After that I don't remember much. I was blown away. 

Children? Take a backseat? What? 

As a new mother I had always prioritized my son. He relied on me for everything. How could he not be the number one priority. Then it hit me....

If we want our marriage to last forever and for our children to be raised in a home of peace, love and security then we have to put our marital relationship first. We have to. 

By putting our marriage first, we are putting our children first. 

That advice was a game changer. As I implemented ways to prioritize my husband and vice versa I found our love for one another increased and our joy for life flourished. We took an already fun and happy marriage and escalated it to the next level. Now, with three children we still make one another a priority. 

The best part is that our kids notice it. They know how important date night is for Mom and Dad. They can see how much we love each other and emulate that love with us and one another. They know they are loved by both of us and that we live in a home where we support and uplift each other. They know we are a family. 

I hope as they get older they will learn to prioritize their relationships appropriately. I hope they will put the most effort into the people and things that matter most. I hope they find a spouse to love as much as I love mine. Most of all, I hope they are loved as much as I feel loved and that they laugh as much as I get to laugh.