How to make your marriage work....A must read

As the curtain is brought down on 2014, why not take stock on success ingredients that made some marriages work?

Laughter

A good, hearty laugh is always fun. Laughing boosts your health. Laughter can reduce stress and bring the best out of your spouse.

Owen: She cannot be bored. I make her laugh.   I am a very funny person. We also do a lot of crazy things together. We could decide to go and sit down in one joint, have pepper soup, drink and make fun of ourselves for doing that as well as gossip about other people who came to the joint for the same purpose.   We gossip a lot. It is hard for us to quarrel.

— Owen Gee, a comedian, is married to Moyosore

Common interests

Sharing same interests cements a relationship. Both of you are driven towards achieving a common goal and this fosters friendship in a marriage

Ebere: We are both givers. We like to help people. He cooks almost better than I do and we both like to do chores at home too.

Seyi Law: We both love to swim and watch movies together. We also like to cook.

— Oluwaseyitan Aletile, a.k.a Seyi Law, a comedian, is married to Ebere

Common hobbies

A couple with a common hobby (ies) quickly discards discord in their union

Sunkanmi: We spend time indoors playing board games such as Ludo and we also watch a lot of Yoruba films. We go clubbing once in a while even though she does not really like it. Bimbo is not just my wife; she is also my best friend.

— Sunkanmi Omobolanle, an actor, is married to Bimbo

Be each other’s friends

When you are friends, nothing is kept as secrets. You learn to ignore trivial issues.

 

Chijioke: Our home is well-run. We all have our separate accounts, but we have the passwords to our different accounts. I would say we run a common wealth system. My money is everyone’s money.

Florence: Women are meant to be helpmates. There are times when the man may not have the money; it is left for the woman to support.

— Chijoke Onuma, is married to Florence, an actress

Freedom

Noble:   I let her do what she needs to do. I am not an outdoor person naturally, but when she has a big event, I go and support her. She is a public figure and by virtue of what she does, she is out there more than I am. I am comfortable with that. In the same token, she gives me insight into my business ventures.   She enriches me and helps me to look at things from different perspectives

— Kiki Kamanu, a fashion designer, is married to Noble Ekajeh

Give

Not all gifts come as tangible objects- kind gestures are also considered.

Idara: I love cooking for my husband because he loves good food. Sometimes, he prefers I wash his clothes in the washing machine, but I insist on using my hands because I just love doing that for him.

Ime: I ensure she lacks nothing within my capacity and surprise her with gifts from time to time. I surprise her pleasurably. Also, I exercise patience and above all, God’s grace is one of the ingredients for a lasting union.