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Category: marriage

Cherish is a word that I use to describe

Cherish. It means to protect and care for someone lovingly. synonyms: adore, hold dear, love, dote on, be devoted to, revere, esteem, admire Cherish is a hard word for me. Even with 30+ years of marriage experience, I find this idea of “cherish” hard to measure. It clearly is me, my problem: I feel squeamish about love. During my first class year at the Naval Academy I played the role of Golde in Fiddler on…

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Duty is not Dirty

I believe in doing my duty. From wikipedia : Duty has to be accepted and understood on the basis of one’s foundation of sense and knowledge. Therefore, duty and its manifestations vary with values from culture to culture. On one hand duty may be seen as terms of reference, job description, or behavior – and it is all of that … but duty is not only about doing things right, it is about doing the…

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Baby Steps

Everything we start, we start with halting, falling, and lurching. It’s easy, during our baby-step phase, to be distracted by what we did before:, our old thinking, what felt more comfortable. We won’t grow, however, or get to a new place without starting poorly.   It’s a baby step. When you show up in your marriage with a clear intention to be interested in the other. It’s a baby step. When you come with a…

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Gary writes

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Christmas was coming and the budget was so tight it was squealing.  I hit upon a plan to provide a little relief; I asked Mary if it would be ok if we did not give gifts to each other.  She agreed and we were all set…. Or so I thought. After 30ish years of marriage I have learned a few things, very few, and one of…

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Repair when the Sun Shines

When I figured out that I was my biggest problem, I also figured out that I could contribute the solution. The best solution I bring to my marriage is being the healthiest version of myself. One of the deeper understandings in this season of my life has been that time is fixed and energy can flex. So often I have acted the opposite. I have acted as if time can flex and energy is fixed.…

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Margin for Mistakes

One of the volunteer roles I took when first married was as a counselor for Navy Relief. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides financial counseling and assistance to Navy-Marine Corps families members in crisis by supplying them quick loans for urgent needs(as qualified), help with emergency needs like baby formula and diapers or help with emergency travel. It was a God-ordained opportunity as I saw that I lived a life with more margin and opportunity…

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