8 Things no one tells you about marriage

Sep 16, 2008 12:00 PM by Ylonda Gault Caviness

Posted in Love & Sex / Marriage & Relationships / Marriage

Love Secrets
Revealed

Take a look at the surprising, enlightening, and sometimes hard truths we all face after we walk down the aisle - and how they teach us about what love really means.

(page 5 of 5)

Couuple talking

Marriage truth #8

As you face your fears and insecurities, you will find out what you're really made of

I've got issues. Trust issues. Control issues. And others, I'm sure, that I've yet to fully discover. I guess I've always known I wasn't perfect. But in more than a decade of marriage, I've been smacked upside the head with the cold, hard evidence.

There were clues when Genoveso and I were dating, especially with the trust thing. Early on, I was supersuspicious of him. He used to say things like, "I'll call you at 8." Then, just to try to trip me up, he'd call at 8. I knew he was up to something, I just couldn't figure out what. The same kinds of experiences followed after the wedding. Except occasionally he would actually mess up. And I had no sense of scale when it came to rating his offenses; everything was a major violation. Whether he teased me about a new haircut or came home late, I seethed for days and even let thoughts of divorce creep into my head. I figured, if he loved me — really and truly — this stuff wouldn't happen.

...Many of the deepest frustrations in your relationship are an opportunity for you to confront yourself. quotation mark close

I'd like to be able to say that this irrational behavior lasted only a few months and I eventually worked it out. Kind of, sort of, is closer to the truth. After years of looking deeply into my soul and talking to good friends and the best sister a girl could ever have, I've come to recognize certain things about myself. Not to get all Dr. Phil about it, but I've had to examine my history with an emotionally distant dad and a strong-willed mom and face up to all the ways, both good and bad, that those relationships have affected how I approach my marriage.

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 more comforting to keep a running tab of your hubby's deficits and tell yourself that his failings are the only thing standing between you and a better marriage. But if you let it, this bumpy journey toward self-awareness can be one of the more fulfilling rewards of a committed, long-term relationship — you'll learn to love your quirks and be compassionate toward yourself, just as you're learning to do with him.

That's the strange beauty of marriage: It's full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together — and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began.

Tell us:

What lessons have you learned from marriage?

Sharethem with us in the comments section below.

More marrriage advice

What does he really want in bed?
23 Ways to celebrate your husband
The starter husband
A healthier husband

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: 8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage

« Previous

1 2 3 45

Comments

Comments on "8 Things no one tells you about marriage"

If I had to do it over again... I probably wouldn't.

I have been married for a year plus now have a baby,my husband is crazy but still sometimes I feel like he's cheating on me,I can't jump into conclusion if he's getting it out there because it really scary to think that.

I like what Sherry said about it was a "you" first, then a "couple", and then a "family." This is so true and that's why it's important to still have a "you" and a "couple" even after you have kids. Find time for yourself, find time to spend together as a couple, and of course spend time with your kids too. Communication is what's most important in a marriage. My husband and I do fight a lot, not going to lie, but we always reach a compromise and grow closer as a couple.

I've been married to my high-school sweetheart for 3 years, we are 21, and have a 14 month old. We have been fighting so hard that I too have let thoughts of divorce creep in, the last secret really hit my heart, because my husband always talks about going to counciling but I didn't want to because I knew that that person would show that it is not just my husband that has issues, its me too, if I just come open and admit my faults I could save our marriage ....thank you, your article made me realize this.

I've been with my husband since I was 15. We didn't intend upon falling head over heals in love and getting married - but we did. Then life hit us, and we learned these lessons. When my single friends hit me up for relationship advice - I tell them 2 things. A true relationship IS work, and hard work! Remember there was a you before there was a couple and a couple before there was a family. It's hard to balance sometimes, but you need to grow as a person, couple and family. Love this article! I think it hits those points, and will def recommend to friends!

If you haven't already learned these things in your relationship, this article does a great job of telling you what to look out for in the future. Not only that, the author uses examples from her life, which makes it much easier for the reader to connect. That said, something I've noticed that some of the commenters seem to have failed to grasp from the article is that communication is a requirement for a healthy and productive marriage. You can't assume that what you see or think is correct without getting outside information. If, for example, your partner isn't as interested in and you don't know why, ask. Don't assume it's a libido thing or that they're getting it somewhere else. Ask. And if your relationship is where it should be, you'll get an honest answer.

This doesn't just apply to married couples. I have been with my boyfriend for 5yrs. It's a struggle for me to process my emotions and change my response to him. Feels impossible but I know I'll be able to relax and not take things so seriously. And to everyone struggling out there, there's hope.

OMG!!! I have been married for a year and four months and everything in this article is exactly what I have been thinking and feeling! It's really crazy how you wonder why people that are married never really warn you, but it's all a learning proccess. It really is hard 'work, but I know we will get through it. Thank you for this AMAZING article because this has really helped me 1000%.

Great great great article!! Thank you for sharing your insights. Very inspiring ( been married for 3 months!!) and very fun, easy to read. I have printed a copy to read to my hubby tonight pre cuddle session! Thank you mucho xo

Marriage can be heaven on earth.your marriage is what u choose to make out of it.for marriage to be what u want it to be, u must make God d foundation of ur marraige. I belive in ur marriage,divoce is not an option.

merried is not a scared thing..it's always nice as long as we could understand and know well our partner.:)

Marriage is the essence of life tread with caution for perfect joy

thanks for the advice

I thank u guys for the coments. Though i'm not married i think with this, i will be careful when i get there cos I hate cheating.

thanks for this page, its an encouragement to marriege people

Take it from me, marriage takes a lot of work. It took me about ten years to get my marriage right. And now that we've been married 41 years, it's all worth it. He started out being a HUGE male chauvinist pig and I had to train him.

i must say im impressed!!!!! its funny that i read this now cause these past couple of months ive realized alot of these things. the sooner u get urself to realize these things the more i found peace with myself. kudos!!!

JUST KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS NOT BED OF ROSES, TAKE IT EASY AND U WILL ENJOY UR MARRIAGE

Get a Grip girls! First of all if your man doesn't want for a few days it DOES not mean he is getting it on the side. And to the first poster, how did you miss he was getting elsewhere? Things are different when we get married but it sounds to me that those that posted here just married the wrong man! I am married will be a year soon, yes we have our issues and most of those seem to be getting into a groove about our roles. We didn't pay much attention when we were dating because it was easy, but things change when you take someone's last name and both your names are attached to things.