This Relationship Corner: Milestones

This week my wife and I celebrated our tenth anniversary. It's kind of hard to wrap my head around. We've been married for ten years. That's an entire decade. Next year I'll have to use my toes to keep track of my marriage. This called for something special to mark the passing of the first of many decades. And naturally, that involved the spending of a bit of money.

But before you think this is a rant against being forced to spend money for made-up occasions (that's Arbor Day) I was more than happy to splurge for one simple reason. In relationships, we need to mark the milestones. We need to take time to look back at where we've been so we can then look forward to where we are going. Celebrating birthdays and anniversaries is very important to the life of your relationship. It's also important to celebrate the fact that you still have a relationship.

This Relationship Corner: Your Landmark Traditions

There are many vital ingredients that make up a good relationship, and today I'm focusing on traditions. This isn't about having a traditional relationship and adhering to traditional values, though feel free if that's what you want. No, I'm talking about the traditions that the two of you create for big, landmark occasions, including holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, traditions with the kids, and even your traditions for handling bad news.

Every long-term couple develops habits and patterns, and it's important to take a look at the most important habits and patterns and make them a regular part of your relationship. While sometimes you'll just let the tradition happen, it's very important to actively nurture and develop your them so they make your relationship better.