In some earlier articles I discussed how most relationships go through a series of stages. I also talked about the first stage that most newlywed couples go through.
After the first stage of blind love and martial bliss, couples go through another stage.
In stage two couples go through a lesser enjoyed stage. The mates begin to fall from the love high that they began on and hit a phase of disappointment.
In this stage, couples are forced to face the truth of marriage. Our society sets up a very fiction ideal of love for us. We are prone to believe that when we find our soul mate, life will forever be wonderful and great. However, even if you are with the right person, things will not always be easy. In this stage you begin to realize that your partner is not perfect. Your eyes are open to the faults. You are annoyed by minor details that you never noticed before.
When in this stage you may even begin to question if you made the right decisions and married the right person. You may start to blame your partner for your unhappiness. Your relationship turns from a couple to individuals. You no longer work together but separate.
You may even begin to hold spite against your spouse. You may begin to feel that life would be better with someone else.
Some couples feel helpless in this stage and do turn to relationships with other people and eventually to divorce. Other couples live unhappy and tolerate their marriage. They never find the true love that is meant to be in a marriage.
However, there are many couples that work through this stage and advance on to other stages. This uphill battle strengthens their love and they come out on the top with a deeper connection than before.
The Biggest Challenges to Marriage