CHAPTER TWO – SAYING HELLO

Falling in love is as easy as falling off a log.  Staying in love, however, is a decision.  Marriage is hard work.  It takes commitment and compromise.

When you are with someone every day for a long time, you tend to take them for granted.  The problem with this is it makes them feel like you are taking them for granted.

Here is my solution.

Greet your spouse with enthusiasm and energy.  Show them you are happy to see them.  Smile and say “Hello!  How are you, dear?”

Don’t make your first words “What’s for dinner?” or “The kids were terrible today.”  Show your spouse, by your actions and words, that you are happy that you found them and grateful to be married to them.

Celebrate your spouse every time you see them – when you wake up in the morning, when you come home from work or your spouse comes home from work.

By small gestures, strong bonds are made.  It only takes a second, but it takes so little to do so much.  See Chapter One.

CHAPTER ONE – IT TAKES SO LITTLE TO DO SO MUCH

A friend of mine tells this story about one night when he was working as an assistant manager at a health club.  A young woman came in with a little girl.  She looked harried, probably from working all day, and now she was looking forward to a swim with her daughter.

“I’m sorry, ma’am , the manager said, “but the pool closes at 7:00 pm.”

“Oh,” said the woman, dejectedly, and turned to go.  Ordinarily, that would have been the end of it.  The result would be an unhappy customer.

But, as the mother was walking away, the manager said “Ma’am?”  As she turned, he said to her, “You have a beautiful little girl.”

She lit up with a great big smile and you could almost see the stress of the day melting from her as she squared her shoulders, lifted her head and stood up straight.  An unhappy customer was turned into a happy customer.

It takes so little to do so much.

We are all starved for recognition, acknowledgment and love.  So take two minutes and buy some flowers, pick up the clothes on the floor, empty the dishwasher or fill up your spouse’s car without telling them.  You get the idea.  Keeping Rule No. 1 in mind will reap large dividends for only a little effort.