I had the opportunity to help celebrate a dear friend’s
up-and-coming nuptials. She was my college roommate for an awesome year (2016-17) and we’ve been friends since. Many
of her friends from all over the East Coast met in Asheville 2weeks ago, to
enjoy good food, good company, and bachelorette shenanigans.
At the end of the night, before we all landed on our
pillows, each of us gave the bride-to-be guidance from relationships (not just
romantic but parental, siblings, partner, husband/wife, friends) we have had or
observed in our lives by those around us. Everyone had something very genuine
to contribute and hearing each of these amazing women’s stories enriched the
weekend, and spoke directly to my own heart.
Here are a few gems from the evening:
Don’t forget to be
silly together: Always play jokes on each other and know that silly time
can be bonding time. When we laugh, our barriers break down, and give us the
opportunity to be safely vulnerable with each other and grow closer.
Sometimes peace is
more important than being right: 9 times out of 10, what we want to be
right about is not important in the long run. Not engaging is a battle of being
on the opposite side, maybe our partner simply needs our support at that time.
When you think you “can’t”,
look at your partner and say, “I can”: This advice came from a woman who
had observed her parents relationship over her lifetime. She said, even when
you are frustrated, or angry, or can’t understand, just know that saying “I can”
strengthens your bond with each other, and “I can’t” weakens that bond.
What guidance would you offer for a successful relationship?
