This afternoon I attended a community theater performance of “The Music Man” at my hometown’s high school. By the norms of River City Iowa in 1912, Marion (yes, Marion the Librarian) should be married. Townspeople consider her standards for a husband too high. They envision her becoming an old maid. Marion, too, secretly fears this will happen.
When her outspoken mother confronts her directly about it, Marion sings “My White Night” by Meredith Wilson. During this song we see Marion knows what she wants in a husband. Her standards include, “…I would like him to be more interested in me than he is in himself, and more interested in us than in me.”
Marion is right on target. The focus for a healthy, happy, lasting marriage does not belong on me or on you. It belongs on us (the relationship).
Questions for thought:
- Do you want your marriage healthy, happy, and lasting?
- If you don’t know what to stop doing or start doing to focus (or increase your focus) on the “us” in your marriage, are you willing to learn?
- Will you take the next step towards that learning now?
Top resources exist to help you learn how to have a healthy marriage that can last a lifetime. Immediately available to you as a downloadable PDF e-book (also available in print) is 30 Tips to Healthier Relationships: A guide for couples and anyone else who has relationships to treasure. See my other Top Book Recommendations here.
Posted by Jenny Olin, LCSW 
Creating Healthy Relationships Blog 