This week Mark and I finished up one part of the marriage preparations that our church is having us complete before we get married - couples counseling! Although, they were careful to tell us many times it wasn't counseling, but just guidance and advice about what we can expect between now and forever.
The church paired us up with sponsors from our parish - a super nice couple who just celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary. They were full of stories and tips of how they have made their marriage work when times got tough, and the importance of their faith along the way. We found our meetings with them to be extremely helpful, and also really pretty fun! We realized there were so many topics out there that we just assumed we agreed on, without ever really sitting down and talking about them. Everything from children to shopping to our extended families to how often Mark will play golf or I'll go out for drinks with the girls - we discussed our expectations and communication styles and the best ways to resolve conflict along the way. I've said it before, but I think a class like this - even if it's one day for just an hour - seems to be so beneficial. I know we took so much from it, and will miss heading over to our sponsor couple's house every other week! Not only did they make great snacks for us to munch on while we were there (note to self: candy corn + peanuts = yum), but they provided a great example of a loving family and the importance working together to put your marriage first, no matter what life throws at you.
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