how to have a happy marriage Archives

The Secret to My Happy 45 Years of Marriage

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Sustainable, Thankful

October 9, 1977 Woodland Park, CO

Sorry, but now that I have your attention I must confess that there is no real secret to my happy marriage. It’d be nice though, huh? It might also be tempting to believe it is luck. A part of me admits how very fortunate I’ve been to be in a relationship that just keeps getting better as the years go by. Surely luck has something to do with it when the same has alluded so many wonderful people. It’s also inviting to think it’s because I’ve got relationships all figured out. But although I’ve made some great choices, what you haven’t seen is all the road-bumps I’ve/we’ve encountered. Even so, on the eve of my 45th anniversary, I am gratefully aware of the privilege of living and loving the same human for such a length of time and believe there are a couple of elements that helped to make it happen.

To begin with, before we even got together we both held a strong intention to create an extraordinary relationship. [Read more…]

Talking About Quality Relationships On Valentines Day

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of the holiday, this week’s SMART Living Blog post is a vlog where Thom and I talk about what we believe makes for great relationships. Of course, not everyone is married, we still tend to think that certain elements work for any relationship–be it your parents, your children, your siblings or most especially your friends. So if you have the time, please take ten minutes to watch and/or listen to the video. We then would love to hear your thoughts about what you think the best relationships include in the comments below. Whatever you do, may your Valentine’s Day be a lovely reminder to cherish and appreciate those you love.

36 Relationship Lessons From 36 Years of Marriage

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, Thankful

Thom & I — 36 years later!

One of my blogging friends named Bethany turned 35 a couple of weeks ago and she wrote a blog post listing 35 different lessons she’s learned during her life. After getting over the shock of realizing I’d been married longer than she’s been on the planet—I realized that with my wedding anniversary happening this week, I had learned a great deal during the last 36 years of marriage. With the hope that some of these might prove useful to others, here’s my list: [Read more…]