Tips to Help the Newly or Soon to Be Newlywed Husband Stay Married!

My wife and I got married October 8^th, 2005. It was a gorgeous fall day, and the honeymoon that followed, in Michigan's gorgeous Upper Peninsula, was a blast, and a time in our lives I will never forget.

Now my cousin is set to get hitched in just a few weeks and it has made me think back on the 3 ½, no wait, 2 ½ years of marriage that I have endured, or survived, or enjoyed. Marriage is in all honesty a great thing. It can definitely have its ups and downs, but with a little compromise and a little wisdom, I think marriage can be a truly rewarding experience.

Of course a little humor never hurt a marriage, and with that thought in mind, I have come up with a few things to help my cousin, and all of you other newly, or soon to be newly wed couples out there, make marriage a pleasant and rewarding experience.

Always, always, always dry the clothes ALL THE WAY - Being a guy I really just want to hurry and get through the honey-do list, and laundry is just one of those things that is so humdrum that I tend to rush it. Needless to say I hear about it later when one of her pieces of clothing is still a little damp. I would just wear it, adjust to the dampness, and move on. Girls aren't that way though. They want their clothes completely dry so take note and don't forget.

Leave her nest alone -- My wife, wherever she spends a lot of her time, always has a "nest" nearby. Usually these nests are located near a living room chair or perhaps beside her side of the bed. These nests are not for guys to mess with. This is a woman's personal space, and while I still brave straightening up this area from time to time, I do not recommend heading in without first being aware of the consequences. Anything moved from here could end up causing you to be accused of losing it, even though it hasn't been used in 6 months, and you definitely don't want to be involved in that.

Never wash a car together - Wives tend to not follow the car washing rules. They will start at the bottom of the car and then work there way up to the top. They are the "rebels" of the car washing world, and no car washing rules apply to them. They don't care that, by washing the bottom of the car first, allows for all the dirt from the top to run down through where they've already washed. It is better just to do it yourself and not have to deal with the wrath. It is much easier.

Never move furniture together - Guys can move furniture without even talking, but moving furniture with your wife is a completely different story. I tried to move a new flat screen TV with my wife once and we almost got divorced. The women aren't as strong as us men and they start to get a little cranky when the furniture doesn't go the way they want it to. They think they need to talk about the furniture moving event, and we guys just don't want to hear about that. We want to hear grunts and groans. Those are the sure signs that something is getting moved, not talking about our feelings about moving it!

Don't call the dog stupid -- Just trust me on this one. Even though I don't really mean it, and she knows I love the dog to death, I still get in trouble even if I'm saying it as a joke. Then, if you ask her why she'll tell you "because he's not stupid". Point taken!

Don't point out the fact that she just ran into the house with the truck -- I did this and the backlash was unbelievable. Even though when you drive a truck you should really pay attention to where the house is, that argument didn't work. Now granted I did over react just a touch, and no real damage was done, but still. I mean, she ran into the house. If you do have this happen to you and you don't stop to think and point it out to her, I recommend using this line for your explanation "Honey, you just took the second most expensive thing we own and ran it into the most expensive thing". Okay, never mind. Don't use that either. It gets you into deep you know what.

Realize what "The Power" is and how it affects you! -- This can not be stressed enough. If you soon to be married gentleman don't know what "the power" is, then you best be learning, because it is going to be used against you more than once throughout your marriage life. Always make sure before saying something stupid, or before getting in trouble, that the power will not be threatened in any way. It can be detrimental to your livelihood as a man.

Most importantly-Have Fun! - The most important marriage advice I can give is to have fun. That is the main point of this entire article. All of these things have happened to my wife and me and now we can look back and laugh at them. Plus they make for great stories. I really do believe though that both of you need to have a good sense of humor in order to get through everyday life. It will go along way in improving your relationship and providing memories that will last a life time.

I think all of these tips will help all of you newly and soon to be newlywed husbands. If you forget any of thee above tips, just remember that she is right and you are sorry for whatever you did. That will go a long way in helping you to see your 25^th Anniversary party.