by Rich Albright

According to perhaps the world’s best known marriage researcher, John Gottman, the following rituals will put you on a pathway toward maximizing your marriage.  Gottman calls this: The Magic Six Hours.
1. Parting - Develop a ritual to turn your partings each day into something special.
2 minutes/day X 5 days/week=10 minutes
2. Reunion - Have a Stress-Reducing Conversation with your spouse at the end of each workday.
20 minutes/day X 5 days/week=100 minutes
3. Admiration And Appreciation - Express genuine appreciation for your spouse each day.
5 minutes/day X 7 days/week=35 minutes
4. Affection - Touch, hold and kiss your spouse each and every day.
5 minutes/day X 7 days/week=35 minutes
5. Date Night - Schedule at least 2 hours weekly, doing something you both enjoy.  The only rule is that there will be no discussion of marital problems.
2 hours X once/week=2 hours
6. State Of The Union Meeting - Set aside 1 hour weekly to manage marriage issues.
1 hour X once/week=1 hour

The grand total of time spent enriching your marriage is 6 hours per week!
Is your marriage worth this investment?


Next week: Grief In Marriage