Updated: I feel like a complete and utter idiot because the 'gem' about not going to bed angry is actually in the Bibile...so yeah, we should probably be following that advice. I am leaving it in to show how thoughts and attitudes change as we dive deeper and deeper into God's word. Sorry for my arrogance in writing the initial post...color me shamed.
Years ago at my sister's wedding shower, the guests all participated in a little activity where they wrote down their advice on having a successful marriage. We all wrote our advice in a cute little journal for her to keep and refer back to if she ever felt like she needed it. I participated too, you know, with my infinite knowledge on how to have a perfect marriage at the ripe old, unmarried age of twenty. Anyway, as I was turning to a new page I glanced at what the others had written. A couple of these pieces of advice stuck with me.
Fastforward almost four years. Now I'm twenty-four and about to take the marriage plunge myself. As we approached the wedding date, G and I were met with an outpouring of advice and warnings. Most of the advice was identical to what my sister was told, some of it was great, some was crappy, but all of it was heartfelt. We just smiled and took it all in to be used one day when we felt like we needed it. Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert on marriage or anything; I've only got four years of experience under my belt. But, I have come to realize which pieces of advice are complete bull crap.
Who came up with this gem?! Do we really believe that we'll resolve an issue worth fighting over at midnight? Do you know what starts to happen at night when you fight? You get emotional. And angry people say mean things. I say definitely go to bed mad. Wake up with a clear head after you've had a good night's sleep. You'll be much less emotional over the issue, and you will have had time to cool down. There is a reason why you should 'sleep on it' when you are trying to make a big decision, it helps clear your head. It took me a couple of years to figure out that this suggestion was complete crap. G and I would fight into the wee hours of the morning. He'd try to go to bed and I would keep irritating him trying to come to what I felt like was a satisfactory resolution. Eventually he would pretend to be over it just so he could get some sleep. The next day, we would end up talking it over again and we would come to an agreement without any fight at all. So, my advice to you: sleep on it. By all means, go to bed mad. If your marriage is strong, it can stand up to a couple of nights of angry sleep.
Never fight without holding hands.
Confession: This isn't advice I was given before my wedding. I read this in a newlywed's blog the other day, and my immediate response was 'who does that?!'
Seriously though, who does that?! We don't fight much, but you can bet that we will not be holding hands when we do. We're being nice if we're even staying in the same room as one another while we're fighting. I'm glad no one gave me this advice when I was getting married because I probably would have laughed at them. You can't fight like you mean it if you're holding hands, and sometimes you just have to fight like you mean it.
Any and all advice about finances.
I'm sure you couples who have been married for 50+ years have a method for managing your finances that works for you, but I think we youngsters will stick to the way that works for us. I'm pragmatic. Some couples work better when one person is in charge of the checking account, other couples prefer more teamwork. Some couples keep their finances separate and wouldn't have it any other way. Just handle it the way you, as a couple, prefer and ignore all of the well-intentioned advice. People always think their way is better, that's why they do it that way.
Marriage is 50-50.
Um. No. Marriage should never be 50-50. Divorce is 50-50; Marriage is 100-100 or nothing at all. Either both parties are giving everything they've got or someone is getting ripped off. Every time G and I have fought it has been because one of us felt like the other was not giving as much to our relationship as the other. Sure, our arguments were disguised as fights over money or time, but they all boiled down to the fact that we thought the other should be giving more.
Put your spouse first.
This little piece of advice is said with great intentions, but it needs to be rewritten just a tad. It should be, "put your spouse first after God." Your relationship with God should always come first. Without a strong relationship with God, the best you can hope for in your marriage is mediocre.
Oh, just wait. You'll see.
Okay, okay, so this isn't exactly advice, but it is a phrase that we probably heard at least twenty times before we got married. Each time I heard it, I just politely chuckled and nodded. Four years later I'm wondering what we're supposed to be waiting for. Am I waiting for life to become incredibly awful? Am I waiting for life to become incredibly awesome? What is it?
I'm thinking the people telling us this were either terribly cynical or they were just trying to be funny. Either way, I'm pretty sure they just need to keep their mouths shut if that's the only 'advice' that they have to give. Haven't they ever heard if they can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?
People hand out advice to newlyweds like fun-size candy bars on Halloween, but, like those candy bars, not all of it is great. My suggestion, if you want it, is to listen to each piece of advice you're given, but only follow the advice that fits your relationship. And never, ever argue without praying first.
1 Corinthians 7:3
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.