Gay In A Straight Marriage: Divorce Or Stay?

As a coach working with gays and lesbians who are coming out in midlife, I am often called upon to help people sort out whether to stay in or leave their heterosexual marriage. It’s not an easy question to answer. Things to consider are the individuals’ feelings toward their spouse, the existence of another lover, their ability to remain monogamous in a heterosexual union, their dedication to their marriage vows and the basic strength of the marriage. With probing and discussion, the... Read more »

Marriage License Search

Marriage is much more serious than it’s treated by many. In the US, the state steps in to help make the point. Like other cosmopolitan environments, there are variations among the ethnic and religious groups in joining people in matrimony. The requirements can also differ from state to state but people other than the couple are always involved. Yes, there will be a conducting official. Legal witnesses of the ceremony are also required in certain states. Even God and deceased ancestors may... Read more »

Marriage Advice That Your Mother Never Gave You!

Have you ever heard of the popular saying that it takes a village to raise a child? Well, It does not actually stop there. Much of the wisdom that we get throughout our lives comes from our personal ‘village’ - our group of contacts, friends, family and mentors, the people that we trust. Back in the olden days, marriage advice for young couples would come only from their parents and grandparents, most of whom would end up having had longstanding and successful marriages themselves. They... Read more »

How Much Sex Is In A Normal Marriage?

Everyone wonders about this. Are our friends having more sex than we do? Do any other couples have this problem where one partner has high desire, and the other one has little to none? There must be something really wrong with us! Everyone wants sex 24/7 don’t they? The answer to these most commonly asked questions are no. Not really. More than 40 million Americans feel stuck in low-sex or no sex marriages. Research studies tell us that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men reported little to no sexual... Read more »

Out-Of-The-Box Anniversary Surprise Ideas

If showing up on the doorstep with a dozen roses just won’t cut it anymore, and a dinner date at a fancy restaurant becomes a ho-hum experience, maybe you need to put some quirky zest on your next anniversary surprise. If you’re at a loss in deciding what to get for your hubby on your anniversary day, save the champagne for later, and do try these nifty ideas both wacky and romantic. How about a medieval surprise? Visit a local costume shop and rent a medieval armor; if you can ride... Read more »

Cheap Wholesale Wedding Reception Guest Favors

The possibilities are really very large when selecting inexpensive and low price wedding guest reception favors. Let’s face it; a wedding can cost a lot of hard earned cash. We all want ways of making the wedding very special but at the same time, not robbing the bank. After all, these days money is hard to earn and it is very easy to spend. The best way to save cash is to purchase your wedding reception favors supplies in bulk or wholesale. Another idea is to consider making them yourself. Try... Read more »

Resolving Your Difficult Marriage Problems

While it is true that not all marriage problems can be solved, but many can. As recently as a few generations ago, divorce was not considered a viable option for most people. Even today, there are religious groups who consider divorce unacceptable except in the event of certain extenuating circumstances - such as abuse or adultery. That point of view is not for everyone, but it is undeniable that marriage problems are put into a different perspective when there is no real choice but to solve them.... Read more »

Finding Effective Marriage Help

Sooner or later, you or your partner might find that your marriage might need some help. That should not be thought of as defeat or failure on your end nor your partners - after all, human relationships are known to be notoriously difficult and never perfect, and admitting that you both need marriage help is actually the first step to getting it. There is nothing to be gained by being in denial about marriage problems especially if there are children involved. Marriages might need help for one of... Read more »

When Should You Seek Marriage Counseling?

Most of us have a certain idea about what marriage counseling is all about - we usually always think of it as a modern idea, having grown out of the increase in divorces over the past years. Getting marriage counseling to most people would seem to indicate that the marriage is in some real trouble, and that getting counseling is a sort of last ditch effort to save it from disaster or divorce. It is very unfortunate that we have developed this incorrent association. In the olden days, marriage counseling... Read more »

Traditional Marriage Preparation Option For Modern Marriages

A feature of many traditional religions is that they will not marry two people who have not first completed a marriage preparation course of counseling. This is an old fashioned idea, but one that has a lot of merit and has been proven over hundreds of years. Marriage preparation can be considered as a sort of pre-emptive marriage counseling course - the ultimate aim is to make sure that there are not any unresolved issues between the couple that may endanger the marriage at the beginning or in... Read more »