Laughter a key ingredient in growing a relationship; children offer top 10 tips for good spousal friendship
The 2013 Marriage Celebrations with Bishop Stika are over for the year and planning for the 2014 celebrations has begun. During his homilies at the three celebrations this year Bishop Stika shared a story from his early priesthood about a couple celebrating 70 years of marriage.
He asked them the secret of their success. The husband stated that his wife always laughed at his jokes, and the man’s wife said simply that she always loved him. Bishop Stika noticed they were holding hands as they responded to his question.
The couple’s response to Bishop Stika exhibited the three great qualities of love, intimacy and laughter that are so worth emulating in our own marriages.
This month I want to focus on the importance of laughter in our marriages. There are numerous articles that promote laughter as a way to strengthen marriage. According to the blog “Simple Marriage, Small Changes, Lasting Relationship,” laughter is a key ingredient in bringing couples closer together.
There is scientific evidence showing that laughter improves your immune system, reduces blood pressure, relieves tension and lifts your spirits. It won’t make problems go away but it can help couples set the stage for tackling them together.
Finding the humor in life is great marital advice, and is certainly advice that we can apply to all of our personal relationships.
Speaking of marital advice, children from our diocesan Catholic schools, along with children from our parish schools of religion, have provided our marriage celebration luncheons with decorated tri-fold displays offering their advice on how to preserve and improve our marriages.
Their advice focuses on how to maintain our friendship with our spouse and is both insightful and sometimes very funny. I wanted to share with you some of my favorites. I hope you find humor and some smiles in the students’ comments about improving married life together.
The following list is my top 10 from those we have received. Feel free to implement the underlying intent of their advice to help maintain your friendship with your spouse.
10. Watch TV shows together. (This includes football!)
9. Tell each other your secrets.
8. Go to Taco Bell together.
7. Hug them when they hurt.
6. Love is when you tell your guy that you like his shirt and he wears it every day.
5. Play superheroes with each other.
4. Share your toys.
3. A friend makes you smile when you’re tired.
2. Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash.
1. Go to church together.
And always remember this advice from a wise humorist:
“If you can find humor in something…you can survive it.” – Bill Cosby.
Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.
