Your face can give you away. Sometimes I watch people while Mick and I are shopping or driving and some people constantly wear a sour look – they go about glaring at the world. It doesn’t make them easy to relate to but tends to turn people away.
I admit sometimes for no apparent reason I am not in a good mood. I just feel down.
Things go wrong and suddenly that bad mood escalates. At that point I have a choice. I can continue in that mood. Or I can try and look at the positives in my life, of which when I stop and think about it there are many.
Stephanie Dowrick says, ‘moods are highly contagious.’ The truth is that ‘for better or for worse,’ they affect those around us. So what can you do if your spouse is feeling down? You can encourage them by presenting a smiling positive attitude. A sign I saw on Saturday after a lovely day spent with family said, ‘Smile- just because you can.’
It’s amazing how much difference a smile makes to those around and especially your spouse. If our spouse is in a bad mood, we can let them know by a cheerful attitude that if they want to talk we’re ready to listen. Or perhaps go find some fun, out of the usual that will encourage laughter and a good mood. We can’t change others or their attitudes and moods but we can change the way we respond to them.
The truth is, life isn’t always easy. Hard things happen in life and in marriage, but being able to share them together makes all the difference. Being able to talk about them and to laugh at ourselves, helps. The quickest way to self pity is to cut ourselves off from people and wallow in our bad mood.
When I was in so much pain with my elbow, neck and back problems I felt I couldn’t deal with people. That never included Mick. I was thankful for his support, encouragement and for the times he gave me a good talking to when I needed it. But mostly because he was there, helping me every step of the way.
Please visit these related blogs
Secrets of Long Lasting Marriages