-We love marriage just as much as we love weddings. Take a moment to prepare not just for the wedding, but for the marriage –
Have you developed a habit of happiness? That’s one of the chapter titles in one of my favorite books on marriage by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot. Most of my family and friends describe me as cheerful, so this concept should be a given for me, right? Not always…
Just the day before taking these photos of Priscilla & Casey, our car was hit from behind. Don’t worry, no one was hurt – but it kind of put a wrench in the mix of our plans for that day. A situation that could easily frustrate a person, maybe even ruin their day. And if we are being honest here, it did frustrate us. We spent the first part of our long wait for the tow truck irritated at the situation, but thankfully we were able to move past it. Instead of wasting all those hours of waiting being annoyed, we let go and decided to enjoy this time alone together while our son was spending the day with Grandma. We watched the traffic passing by, talked and relaxed. Paul joked that the people who passed us were probably surprised to see us smiling and laughing next to our damaged car. It took us some time, but we let go of what was clearly out of control and made the best of the situation.
What is the secret of happy couples? According to the Drs. Parrot and a UCLA study, it is “adjust[ing] to things beyond his or her control” (p. 66) Do we do this all the time? No. But we are aware of it, we try to keep it in mind, and we do our best. And our best is all we can offer and ask of each other. So are there ways you can develop a habit of happiness? How do you adjust to things beyond your control?
*Carolyn
ps. The happy couple in the photos above are from Priscilla & Casey’s engagement session. Their wedding is coming up soon in just 12 days!
