A customer recently told me of a fellow whose wife told him she was leaving him for another man. The fellow’s response was, “Is there anything I can do?” The wife replied, “Sure, you can give me a couple of weeks to find right guy?”

I laughed, as possibly you did, at an obvious joke and then I began to do a little thinking. What I began to think about is how Sherry and I have been able to stay married.

I don’t think it is because we were so mature when we married. I was not quite 20 and she was 18. Nor do I think we have stayed married because we are perfect individuals. I would be first to tell you Sherry is not perfect. Just kidding!

However, I do believe that there are some things that we have done right, and that we have utilized some concepts that have made our relationship work. These things, in turn, might be of help if utilized by others. However, before I tell you what these things are, let me hasten to say I’m not a marriage counselor. But, that might be to your advantage. At least it might keep me from being like guy who had seven rules for raising kids, and then he had seven kids and had no rules. While there is certainly a place for counseling, there is danger that advice can be long on theory and short on practical experience. With this in mind, I’ll mention a few things that have worked for us.