Why do we work so hard on relationships? The four letter word Love is also considered a relationship. Remember to take your time, self disclose to your partner and disclosure from your partner to you is a lifetime experiment. Addictions, abuse and credit card debt are hard on relationships. There are character clues in setting life goals being monetary satisfaction or intrinsic satisfaction. When something happens, you can give up, blame someone else, or regroup and pursue your goals. The moral implications in relationships are do you treat a waitress as an object. Do you have awareness of them as a person not just a body performing a job? How does your future spouse treat his or her siblings and parents? Are they before you? Can you handle that for the long term? Do they treat employees well?
What does your spouse or partner do with time and money? Look at discrepancies, friendships, reciprocity, mutual events sought in friendship, and differences of opinion. Visit your future spouse’s childhood home, family and siblings. Find out the secrets before you marry someone. Trust should be open. During courtship, both parties are on their best behavior. Stress can be in laws, death in the family, and financial reversal. Sometimes positive events like retiring can be stressful along with winning the lottery, a job promotion, or returning to school.
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| Liz Currin, PhD, Suxette Cohen, & Heather Herrig ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting |
Discuss your expectations openly. Focus on forever. Couples need to be oriented on what to expect in a marriage. As we know, happily ever after is only a fairy tale. Other important items are: Cheating. Money or sex which is harder to talk about? Saver versus spender.
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| Pam Santoro & Sherrin Thomas ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting |
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| Liz Currin, PhD, Sherin Thomas, & Rachel Hillhouse (left) Celia Dutcher, Babs Robinson, & Suzette Cohen (right) ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting |
