Marriage First, Love Second?

Last week I watched The Painted Veil and was swept away by the love story. Which at first wasn’t much of a love story. Naomi Watts played Kitty, a vain, spoiled selfish young woman whose parents –her mother in particular—want to see her married. (I should add the story is set in the 1920s when even more emphasis was placed on women marrying.) At a party, her father invites Dr. Walter Fane (played by Edward Norton), a quiet, reserved young man he hopes will catch Kitty’s eye. He doesn’t so much catch her eye as he does catch her off … Continue reading →

Life Imitating Art: My Marriage and Friday Night Lights

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how I could relate to an ordeal that Tami Taylor, a character on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, was going through. She and her husband were having a commuter marriage because he had accepted a coaching job in another town. Still in Texas but about two hours away from their home. She stayed behind so that her daughter could stay at her high school with her friends and so that Tami could keep her job. Being apart while a spouse is working elsewhere was something I could definitely relate to. Except in my … Continue reading →

Married for Years and Finding Yourself Single

Being married for years and then finding yourself single can leave you without knowing what step to take next. No matter why you are now single (divorce or death of a spouse) you can experience a new found loneliness. Even if the marriage ended on your own terms, it may be difficult to get used to living in an empty house. You may dread coming home in the afternoons knowing that no one will be there. While it may be hard to get accustomed to the new single life, you can make the best of it and even enjoy your … Continue reading →

The Dream: How I Knew Wayne Was the One

When I was 15, I had a dream unlike any I’d ever had before. I’ve never been able to recall most of the specifics, not even right after I woke up. I don’t remember who I was with, what we were doing, or where we were. But it wasn’t the specifics that made it important. It was the feeling it invoked that made it stand out. At the very end, right before I woke up, I was introduced to someone who was supposed to change my life and become the most important person in it. I couldn’t see his face. … Continue reading →

The Things He Does for Love: Ghost Hunting Classes

Ever since we moved to Nashville and got cable, I’ve been introduced to a whole slew of new TV entertainment. I wrote about how we’re addicted to MTV’s The Hills, but I’m also nuts for Sci Fi’s Ghost Hunters. Heck, I’m nuts about all things ghost period. I signed up to receive a newsletter from a local ghost hunting group here in Nashville, the Adsagsona Paranormal Society. They hold meetings once a month that I’ve been wanting to attend, but something always seems to come up that prevents me from checking them out. However, the other day on their Yahoo! … Continue reading →

Romantic Hurricane Adventures: Fun with Floyd

For me, September brings to mind hurricanes. It all started the year we moved to Florida. The Summer of ‘99 We moved to Jacksonville in May of 1999. Our move had been a bit rocky. Wayne and I had been separated for four months until our house sold in Phoenix. (Actually, it hadn’t even sold yet. I just couldn’t stand not living with him anymore, so I decided I was moving. Luckily we got an offer at the same time.) But I had only been in Jax a month when Wayne’s company declared bankruptcy and laid him off. It could … Continue reading →

Meet Marriage Blogger Courtney Mroch

Greetings! Some of you may know my work from the blogs I write over in the Pets section or from guest blogs I’ve written in Marriage or a few other sections. I’ll still be contributing to Pets as well, but today I officially join Heather Long and Karri Weathers as a Marriage Blogger. Wooohooo! I’m very excited about keeping company with you all. You, however, might be wondering, “Who is this Courtney Mroch and why is she qualified to write about love, marriage, and relationships?” Well, let’s see if I can answer that… 21 Years and Counting I am married. … Continue reading →

If You Knew Then, What You Know Now ….

You often hear people comment, “If I knew then, what I know now, I’d never have ….” I have had great reason to consider these words over the years and occasionally I think about the idea that I might have done something differently, yet the truth is – knowing what I know now? I wouldn’t change a thing. Because all the decisions I made in the past – the good ones and the bad ones – led me to right where I am. First Married Sure, if you look back to how you may have handled your first disagreement, it … Continue reading →

In Laughter & Tears

When we got married, one of our vows was ‘…through laughter and tears …’ and that vow has always been apropos in my opinion – especially since I laughed all the way through our wedding. It’s a very funny memory now – but when it happened, I know some people were a bit appalled that I was giggling through the wedding. But the truth is – your wedding vows say a lot for what you will go through in your marriage. Sickness & Health There will be times of illness. There will be times when you are depressed mentally or … Continue reading →

Is Tomorrow Your Lucky Day?

Tomorrow is July 7, 2007 or as we stated in Are Dates Lucky in Love? – it’s 7-7-7. It’s one of the most booked wedding days this summer. Wedding planners all over the country are preparing for thousands of weddings as couples seek to take advantage of the date to increase their chances for a successful marriage because 7-7-7 is associated with good fortune. Luck or Effort? The truth is, no matter how lucky tomorrow is for many people, it won’t be luck that creates a marriage that can last a half century or more. It takes genuine effort on … Continue reading →