I love you. I trust you. See how interchangeable that is? To have one in a relationship is to have the other, and if one is missing, the other one also has found a serious hiding place within your heart. As hard as it is to accept, and contrary to most Valentines Day cards and [...]
The problem with quality time is that guys think its non-negotiable. Pop culture has taught everybody that quality time is spent doing any activity of your wife’s choosing; because what she wants to do usually gets pushed to the rear. And it’s true, some things your wife wants to do often get pushed to the [...]
In the three weeks since the birth of our son, my wife and I have snapped at each other no fewer than seven times. We’ve snapped about pampers, we’ve snapped about feeding, we’ve snapped about what makes him so fussy. The good news is that we recognize the culprit behind the broken communication – mostly, [...]
Everybody in this world has tools. We have tools to heal, and tools to destroy. The reason why they call marriage “work” is because from the moment you decide to make someone your spouse, you are using these tools to your benefit, or to your detriment. In other words, you are a master craftsman at [...]
I’ve had a bunch of names over the course of my life other than Jarrett Carter. For a while, I went heavily by ‘son,’ ‘brother’ and ‘cousin.’ But as I moved up in age, the time around my immediate family became less frequent and the names became a little more distant. ‘Baby’ and ‘sweetheart’ became [...]
I can’t even call it mood swings…They’re more like haymakers. One day, I’m doing a great job as a husband and friend, and I’m a joy to be around. The next day, I never listen and I’m selfish. Just like that. And to be honest, I can’t blame her at all. There’s just over a [...]
Cars need gas to run. You regularly fill them up with gasoline that costs money. You expect the car to regularly need gas, and prepare for when it runs out or comes close to it. Yet, you don’t approach your marriage with the same methodical approach. This is the number one reason why your marriage [...]
You’ve heard the old adage of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object? That’s our household today. An argument leads to separation, accusation, and a lack of emotional penetration on either side. Don’t get me wrong; there’s no long-term damage or foreseeable circumstance that would lead to a REAL separation, but it’s definitely at a [...]
My wife and I spent a big part of our weekend talking with a dear friend whose marriage is in a bad spot. For a variety of internal and external reasons, the union is on a bad course and looks to be heading towards ending. It got me thinking of things that make a marriage [...]
One of the luxuries my wife and I enjoy is the ability to tell each other what we truly think. It may go through a couple “nothing’s wrongs,” but eventually, we get out what we need to say to each other. And it usually turns out to be the best thing for each other, because [...]
