When I got married, I was amazed at the instant, overwhelming sense of responsibility I felt to love and care for my husband. Suddenly, a huge part of someone else’s well-being and happiness was largely affected by my choices and actions. Women, we need to be careful about how we are caring for our husbands and marriages. Don’t let the small stuff ruin the things that will bring you the greatest happiness in life. Here are just a few ways you might be unknowingly destroying your husband and killing your marriage (as a caveat, please understand that although this article is directed toward women, it applies to men as well):…

Is a happy marriage the key to good health? Yes, according to researchers at the University of Missouri. Overall, married people are in better mental and physical health than their unmarried — divorced or widowed — peers. The study, which followed 700 couples over 20 years, found that each partner’s health can be affected by both positive and negative interactions at all stages of marriage. The researchers reported that people who have happy marriages are more likely to give their health a higher rating as they age. The health benefits may be strong enough that working on your marriage can improve your health throughout your years as a couple. Engaging…

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Kevin A. Thompson’s blog.  I’m convinced the number one cause of divorce is not adultery, financial problems, or irreconcilable difference. Those are most often symptoms of a deeper problem. While these problems might be real, I believe there is a bigger issue. The most common issue I see with couples who are struggling in marriage is a lack of intentional investment in their marriage. While it’s a fair debate of which comes first — did someone lose interest so they lost intention or did someone lose intention so they lost interest — either way there is a key idea: We can influence…

We were hours deep into the bachelor party and the man of the hour was pure fire with the dice. He and everyone else at the craps table were on hot streaks. Sixes hit. Eights, too. Bets were pressed. Chips stacked. When he rolled big, the crew erupted in cheers. It was exactly what a casino night send off should feel like. But, the glow of camaraderie was instantly snuffed out when the bachelor, stack of chips mounted in front of him,  turned to the party and warned us not to tell his soon-to-be-wife about the winnings. You could feel the circulated air get sucked out of the casino. The…

You know those couples who are so darn cute all the time? Those people who are so in love and just seem to have it all figured out? What is their secret? Well, it might be simpler than you think. We asked real women and relationship experts to share some of the daily habits that occur in super-loving bonds. Prepare to get inspired: SHARE A RITUAL “At night before bed, I started putting wrinkle cream on my husband! At first he would protest and grumble, but now he requests it and closes his eyes and takes in a moment of pampering. And every day, he sends me ‘Songs of the Day,’ which…

Whether or not you want to admit it, it’s likely that at some point in your marriage, you’ve wondered if your marriage is “good” in the first place. You know, probably during some horrible fight, when you probably shouldn’t be asking yourself a single serious question, but there you are, questioning the big stuff. I’m no stranger to this question, mostly because I grew up with two parents who had what was decidedly a bad marriage—and I knew I just didn’t want to do whatever it was they were doing. Of course when you Google “how do you know you’re in a good marriage” you get messages that are not…

It’s no secret that marriage takes work. After all, we’re only human, and humans make mistakes, have bad days and sometimes even forget to load the dishwasher (again). Nevertheless, some couples are able to foster happy, healthy, totally awesome marriages that actually do last a lifetime. How? A a Reddit thread emerged Sunday asking the happily hitched to reveal their secrets to marital success. Here’s what they had to say:   1. Be nice. “Choose kindness whenever you can — you should be AT LEAST as nice to your spouse as you would a stranger or you were when you started dating.”   2. Enjoy each other’s company. “My wife…