Writer | Anisa Sindha

Estimated Reading Time : 3 minutes

So here are some advice tips from us. We celebrate our 25 years this May, so we’re doing something right. There are the key elements in any relationship: respect, trust, mutual understanding, and love.

1.  My husband and I were friends before we married, and we continued being friends after marriage. By that, I mean we like to hang out together, watch movies, go for drives, go for walks, talk to each other about everything, etc.

2. When it comes to each other, we’re not selfish. Quite the opposite, we’re selfless. In a relationship, if each individual can always put the other first (their feelings, likes/dislikes, thoughts, etc.), there will always be lots of gratitude and appreciation from the other and vice versa.

3. Respect for each other is very important and needs to be earned. No one likes to be disrespected. It’s equally important to respect their parents also, whether you like them or not. Common courtesy is appreciated for both sides.

4. Trust, trust, trust! Mistrusting your spouse is the basis for so many broken marriages. It leads to many issues and misunderstandings that build up and most often never get resolved, leading to divorces.

5. Patience, marriage isn’t always a walk in the park. There is no such thing as a perfect marriage. Every relationship has its challenges. Having patience can make or break your relationship, patience with each other, with the current situation, and with whatever it is that you’re growing through.

6. Doing little things for each other always goes a long way—a quick hug in the morning. A random ‘I love you’ text or “I’m thinking of you.” My husband often sends me “thank you for being in my life” and for being the mother to his kids. 

7. Compliments go a long way. It makes the other person feel good about themselves and builds self-esteem, confidence, and self-assurance. I love getting compliments from my hubby, especially when I know I look like crap and vice versa. It sounds cheesy, but I still like getting dressed up because I know I’ll get checked out by him. Many times I’ll think I look just ok, and he’ll be like, ‘you look good, babe’. He doesn’t just compliment me on my physical appearance. He compliments me on being a good mom, daughter, friend, cook, etc

8. Don’t argue about money; it doesn’t matter how much you have or don’t have. Finances can cause a strain, and couples start nagging each other about it, and it gets annoying really fast! If you value any relationship, don’t put money first. This is a good lesson for every relationship, not just marriages. Friendships, siblings, marriage, family, etc 

9. If something is bothering you about the other, let them know. Constructive criticism is also good, along with compliments. Personally, if it’s bothering me, I will let him know. I don’t keep things bottled up. Disagreeing is normal. Even arguing is normal. Open communication is very important. 

10. Just remember, no one is perfect. I know I’m not, neither is he. But, we are two imperfect people that are perfect together!!

These are my opinions of what works for us. It, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what would work for everyone else. I think every relationship is different and unique in its own way. For any relationship to be healthy and working, it’s imperative that the individual has to want to be there and needs to put in the time, effort, and energy. That’s why I say these above tips work for us because we cannot imagine being anywhere else besides next to each other!!