A Grateful Marriage

You can have a more grateful marriage in two short weeks.  Curious? Here's how:


Week 1:  Stop doing whatever household chores you currently do.  Yup, all of them.  (The one exception would be continuing to care for those who can't care for themselves, like babies and pets.)

Laundry?  Leave it!
Dishes?  Isn't that why most sinks have two sides?
Vacuuming?  Uu don't have tuu!
Grocery shopping?  Nope.  Fast food it is.
Dusting?  As if!
Lawncare? You get to be "that house" for a change.

By the end of the week you will realize all of the things you both do for each other.  You'll see in a tangible way efforts made on your behalf with little to no complaint each week.  Efforts we often forget to say "Thank you" for and have begun to take for granted.

Spend the weekend playing catch-up together and re-evaluating the responsibilities if necessary.  Then get ready for week two.

Week 2:  Calculate the take home pay for someone working minimum wage.  Multiply that by the number of people in the household that are working.  Live on that and that only.  Yes, that includes bills.  Subtract out a 1/4 of rent, utilities, gas, and food.  If you thought the first week was tough, this will be an eye opener.  That $7.00 cup of Starbucks that you just HAVE to have every morning will take on a whole new meaning when you realize that's what you make after working for an hour this week. 

If you make it through this week without cheating....congratulations.  Most people live so far beyond their means that they'd be broke after one bill is subtracted.  So where does the gratitude for your spouse come in to play? You will now be able to see how much his or her work ethic, ambition, and willingness to do the job impacts your life.  What it affords you not only in terms of necessities, but in luxuries as well.  At the end of this week, overtime work has a value you can see.  It's no longer just time away from you, it's also time providing you the things you've become accustomed to.  The best part is, you not only have appreciation for your partner, but also for your employer, and enough left over to boost your self esteem a bit too.

It really can be that easy.  Will it fix everything in your marriage? Of course not, but it will repair foundational cracks and put you in a much better frame of mind to communicate honestly.