Relationship Advice #6

Don't expect your spouse to be a mind reader or pick up on your hint dropping. If you want something, just say so.

This advice comes from the audio book, For All Eternity by Dr. John L. Lund. (I have a copy if anyone wants to borrow it.)

Dr. Lund shares that so often we think that if our spouse really loved us, he or she would be able to just know how to find the perfect gift or plan the perfect date for us. For some reason, we mistakenly think that if we have to ask for something, it doesn't mean as much. In reality, we need to mean what we say and say what we mean. In other words, we need to hold each other 100% accountable for our words.

Here's a couple totally hypothetical examples:

#1

Matt: "Erin, do you care if I go to Fight Night*?"

Me: "No."

When Matt comes home at 1:00 a.m with a rub burn on his nose and has to get up at 5:00 a.m., I can't be upset with him.

#2

Matt: "What do you want for Christmas?"

Me: "A brown coat with a furry hood from Burlington Coat Factory. Do you want me to buy it so I make sure it's the right one?"

Matt: "Yes please. I'll go with you."

*Fight Night: Where a bunch of guys get together and watch the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Then they wrestle around and fight each other. It's manly. Very manly...