The New York Times helps us understand the key to happiness in a marriage or relationship.
Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt):
“How people care for each other, how they share responsibility, power and authority — those are the key issues in relationships [said Sondra E. Solomon].”
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Notably, same-sex relationships, whether between men or women, were far more egalitarian than […]

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The Philippine Daily Inquirer presents 10 “bite-size efforts [that] go a long way for a happy togetherness.” Anna Sobrepeña’s list includes (excerpt):
1. Keep a weekly appointment with each other.
2. Share thoughts.
3. Read the same page.
4. Speak gently.
5. Do things together.
6. Wear something nice.
7. Give gifts.
8. Hug. Smile. Cuddle. Laugh together.
9. Share meals.
10. Remember the […]

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The Sturgis Journal illustrates what marriage and dancing have in common, putting commitment in perspective.
James and Audora Burg write (excerpt):
The late Paul Pearsall, neuropsychologist and best-selling author of 18 books, noted “Marriage, families, all relationships are more a process of learning the dance rather than finding the right dancer.”
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Individual tastes aside, there are some definite […]

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The AP and Ithaca Journal discuss marriage after an affair, including the sacrifices required of each spouse to avoid divorce.
Melissa Kossler Dutton writes (excerpt):
Repairing a relationship requires openness and candor from the person who cheated.
“He has to admit that he made a mistake and recognize the hurt of betrayal and say I want to be […]

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The New York Times shows that old dogs can learn new tricks, especially in matters of love and marriage.
Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt):
Rather than visiting the same familiar haunts and dining with the same old friends, couples need to tailor their date nights around new and different activities that they both enjoy, says Arthur Aron, a […]

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MSNBC.com and LiveScience report on the study of relationships by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (Kira Birditt, Lisa Jackey and Toni Antonucci). The conclusion: Marriage–It only gets worse!
MSNBC reports (excerpt):
“As we age and become closer and more comfortable with one another, it could be that we’re more able to express ourselves […]

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CNN/Oprah helps us differentiate between fantasy love and real love.
Martha Beck writes (excerpt):
Want an honest and long lasting relationship? Make sure you and your partner can recite these five statements.
I can live without you, no problem
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. . . “I can live without you” is an assurance that sets the stage for real love.
My […]

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The Washington Post reports on the study published in Health Psychology that a happy marriage helps relieve a woman’s stress from work–but apparently not a man’s (excerpt):
Coming home to a loving spouse and a good marriage helps working women shake off the stress of the day, new research confirms.
Men, on the other hand, often drop […]

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The New York Times unwraps the gift within the act of giving.
Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt):
. . . [G]iving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the […]

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USA Today showed the power of love through the eyes of retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her husband, who suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Joan Biskupic writes (excerpt):
“Mom was thrilled that Dad was relaxed and happy and comfortable living here and wasn’t complaining,” Scott [O’Connor] . . . .
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Scott compared his father to “a teenager in love” […]

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USA Today opens A.J. Jacobs’ journey as revealed in his The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.
Carol Memmott writes (excerpt):
Biggest lesson? “Your behavior shapes your beliefs. If you act like a good person, you eventually become a better person. I wasn’t allowed to gossip, […]

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CNN/Oprahpresent “8 entirely new ideas about love.” As corny as the title sounds, it’s really worth a read.
Everyone would benefit by knowing this tidbit (excerpt):
A new study has found that the way you respond to your partner’s good news may be more important than how you react to his disappointments.
Couples who celebrated each […]

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USAToday reports on census data detailing marriage and divorce statistics.
Sharon Jayson writes (excerpt):
More than 70% of those who married since 1970 celebrated a 10th anniversary.
That statistic — one of many released Wednesday by the U.S. Census — shows that divorce itself has stabilized in recent decades, neither rising nor falling significantly. But experts say the […]

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Redbook reveals “8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage” (excerpt):
I still struggle as a work in progress. But I am completely clear in the knowledge that many of the deepest frustrations in your relationship are an opportunity for you to confront yourself. That can be difficult to accept — after all, it’s so much […]

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The New York Times looks deeply into couples therapy and the road to saving a marriage.
Laurie Abraham writes (excerpt):
. . . But what I discovered sitting in on this couples group for a year is that every family is unhappy in its own way — its own peculiar, layered, internally contradictory, often surprising way.
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. […]

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CNN/Oprah raises the matters that come after “Will you marry me?” and “Yes.” Susan Piver poses questions about:
income and spending
house and yard care, cleanliness and organization
financial goals
work hours
ambitions
sexuality and desires
meals, shopping, cooking, cleaning
health habits
the other’s family
children and changes in lifestyle
friends
religion and spiritual practices

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The New York Times includes memories of lost rings, now and then.
Erwin R. Tiongson writes (excerpt):
I have worn my wedding ring every single day since my wedding more than seven years ago. I had never misplaced it before. But there I was staring at my bare finger. I noticed the indentation left by the ring, […]

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USA Today explains the challenge facing second-time-around couples.
Olivia Barker writes (excerpt):
The quandary couples face is “how to balance telling people, ‘Oh, please come again, please come to our wedding,’ with, ‘We know you just came to one, but this time we mean it,’ ” says Susan Polyot, the editor and publisher of the online magazine […]

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The New York Times distinguishes between being compatible and being complementary.
Amy Sohn wties (excerpt):
At the time I was seeing a 92-year-old Austrian psychoanalyst, and whenever I expressed concern about the financial inequity of my relationship, he would shake his head and say, “For the relationship to survive, you must be the woman, not the man.”
Later […]

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USA Today reveals how to reduce the harmful effects of worrying, including:
Writing out your feelings about stressful experiences.
Spending time with friends who prefer problem solving over hand-wringing.
Meditating or praying.
Working on forgiveness.
Lowering unrealistic expectations.

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