...because I'm always looking for different ways to enhance, enrich, strengthen and preserve my bond with the hubs...
Be Happier Ever After With These Vows:
Dearest Wife, I Promise...
...to send you a thank-you text the next time I'm sitting in a meeting having flashbacks of our night together last night.
...not to cringe when you "hit" the high notes in your car-ride Adele sing-along.
...to finally admit that your cooking is not the cause of my little flatulence issue.
...to realize that any appreciation for my vacuuming the house two weeks ago ran out ten days ago.
Dearest Husband, I Promise...
...not to automatically count you in when I score an amazing Groupon deal on flower-arranging classes.
...that once a month, I will stay awake till the end of movie night.
...not to show anyone that picture of our daughter painting your toenails.
...to come to your rescue the second you get cornered by my uncle and his stories of incontinence gone wrong.
...never to bleach my upper lip in your presence, if you never again ask me to shave your back.
--Redbook - February 2011
Just Say Thanks:
...and a stronger relationship may be your gift in return. For three weeks, participants in a Florida State University study made a special effort to express gratitude to a romantic partner or close friend, while two other groups spent the three weeks either recalling pleasant memories of the person or thinking about--but not voicing--their appreciation. Speaking up paid off: Compared to the other groups at the study's end, those who said "thanks" out loud rated their relationship as stronger and themselves as more likely to respond to their partner/friend's needs without expecting something in return. Although the research focused on gratitude givers, the investigators believe simple thank-you's will also inspire receivers, "propelling couples in an upward spiral of increasing appreciation and willingness to help out," says lead author Nathaniel M. Lambert, Ph.D.
--Good Housekeeping - November 2010
