Couples can navigate changes and the challenges it brings by:
Being Flexible
One of the keys to a strong marriage is the ability to adapt and be flexible. Embrace new routines, hobbies, and interests that your spouse develops. This adaptability can strengthen your bond and help you grow together.
Showing Patience
Understand that growth can sometimes be messy and uncomfortable, but patience can foster a supportive environment for both partners. Showing patience during these times of change is crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship.
Finding New Activities to Share
Engage in new activities and interests that you can share together. Creating new shared experiences can help you reconnect and build a sense of togetherness amidst the changes. Finding common ground in new hobbies or interests can rejuvenate your relationship and strengthen your connection.
Commit to Love
Mature love involves a commitment to your spouse that goes beyond a business-like, self-serving conditional agreement based on personal satisfaction. True love means loving your spouse not for who they were at any given moment, but for who they are becoming and who they will be.
In summary
Change is Inevitable: Accept that both you and your spouse will change over time.
Love is a Decision: Commit to loving your spouse through changes, as love as a deliberate decision and action rather than just an emotion.
Be Persistent: Engage in understanding, in communication, and shared activities to navigate changes.
Commit to Unconditional Love: Embrace the changes that come with marriage and commit to loving each other through all stages of life.
By understanding and accepting these principles, couples can navigate the changes in their relationship with grace and commitment, ensuring a deeper and more resilient bond. Embrace the journey of change with your spouse, and let it strengthen your love and connection.
Adapted from a book of Tim Keller
Dr.Baya Mebarek, Psy.D.,LMFT
Baya Mebarek, Psy.D., LMFT
Baya Mebarek, Psy.D., LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 20 years of experience helping couples strengthen their relationships. Based in San Diego and providing online therapy throughout California, she specializes in couples therapy, marriage counseling, premarital counseling, affair recovery, communication and conflict, emotional disconnection, and rebuilding trust. Her integrative approach draws on research-based relationship strategies, attachment-informed therapy, and a deep understanding of the emotional patterns that can leave couples feeling hurt, misunderstood, or disconnected.
