The ABCs of Love: The Secrets to a Long-Lasting Relationship

Appreciate each other. Even if you are already together for years, do not forget to say thank you. Appreciate the little things that your partner is doing for you. Even a simple act of making a cup of coffee  is an act of love. Do not take that for granted. If you will learn to appreciate the little things, you will be blessed even more.

Be happy together. There is a different level of happiness when you are with your special someone. Yes, you will laugh and have great times with your barkadas. But you will feel different with your partner. It brings you to a higher cloud of joy which you will never feel with your family and friends. Hence, spend happy times together, tell jokes to each other and laugh together. Make each other happy by giving simple surprises. Of course, gifts work too!

Communicate. This is very important even if you already live in the same house. Regularly text and call each other. Talk about what happened the entire day while you are apart. Do not hesitate to share your problems with your partner. You need to openly and honestly communicate with each other on a daily basis.

Date once in a while. Even if you already have kids, see to it that you can still spend time with each other. Go on a date. Watch movies. Eat in your favorite restaurant. Or you can just stay home and spend time together when the kids are sleeping. You can watch movies at home while drinking beer.

Encourage and support each other. Remember that you are put together to work as a team. You lean to each other at all times. It is important that you encourage and support each other in everything. Do not belittle your partner. When your partner feels down, bring out the best in him by telling him that isn’t a failure. Be there to help. When you do it together, you will no doubt succeed!

Forgive and forget. We are not perfect. We commit mistakes. Always apologize when you make mistakes and make sure that you will not do it again. If you do the same mistakes over and over again, it means you never respected your partner and you never valued your relationship. Learn to forgive too and when do that, forgive wholeheartedly. Then do not fight over the same issue over and over again. Once you have forgiven your partner, forget about what happened and move on with your life together.

Go out with your friends and have fun. It doesn’t mean that just because you have found a partner, you will not spend time with your friends anymore. Do not put a tall fence around your partner. Let him spend time with his barkadas. This way, they will not feel like you are being held captive since they do not have the freedom to have fun with their friends anymore. 

Remember: One’s family and friends are already part of that person even before you came. Since you are an addition to his or her life, add more joy to it. Also, see to it that you get along well with your partner’s family and friends. The persons that matter to him should also matter to you.

Honesty is very important. If you are not honest about everything, your relationship will soon crumble. Your partner will surely discover that you are hiding something and it is never okay to keep secrets when you are in a relationship. So, always be honest and avoid telling lies.

Include God ALWAYS. The real secret to a lasting relationship is putting God in the center. It isn’t just about praying together or going to church together. It is about how you will live in God’s way as a couple. When you live by the Bible’s teachings, you will surely avoid hurting each other and this will also keep you away from doing mistakes that would hurt your relationship.

Jealousy should be avoided. Too much jealousy or baseless jealousy often leads to arguments. Sometimes, it can even break a relationship. When you feel jealous about a certain person, tell your partner so he can clarify it. Talk about it before it becomes the primary reason for your constant fighting.

Kisses! Kiss your partner before you leave home and when you arrive home. This is one way to ensure each other that even if you are apart, you are in each other’s heart. This is also a good way to start the day. Some people say that husbands who kiss their wives before leaving home have a lower chance of getting into accidents. True or not, it would indeed be better to part with a kiss and meet with a kiss! Aside from a kiss, don’t forget a hug!

Love unconditionally. Love each other at all times. Accept the other’s weaknesses and try to fill in that part using your own strengths. Do not get tired of saying “I love you.” There’s a lot of magic that this three words can bring to a relationship. And remember, love is an action word. So don’t just say it, show it!

Memorize important dates. Yes, take note of all the important dates in your life. Your partner will be extremely sensitive if you will not remember to send her some flowers during your anniversary. Aside from that, remember all the special moments you spent together. And make sure that when your partner asks you about a certain date, you know what exactly happened. 

Never flirt with other people. This is a big NO. When you start flirting with others, this means that you are not happy with your relationship and you are seeking for another person’s attention. When you do this, you do not give value to your partner and your relationship. Most of the time, this leads to adultery, which will break your family. You don’t want your kids to grow up in a broken family, don’t you? The only person you are allowed to flirt with is each other. Stay inside that circle.

Overthinking hurts. This includes not worrying too much. Avoid thinking too many negative things about your partner. You might speculate that he is having an affair and your thinking has gone too far. This will cause a rift in your relationship. Instead of overthinking, talk about this with your partner and discuss it in a loving manner. Make sure that everything is clear. Leave no room for allegations or wrong accusations.

Pack your travel luggage together. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will pack your stuff while helping each other. What I mean is travel to places together. Instead of going to places with friends, spend it with your husband and kids. This will create lovely memories in your life as a family and it will also have a great impact on your relationship. Travelling together increases bonding as you discover new things.

Quality time is significant. It isn’t the gifts that matter. It is the time that you will spend with your loved ones. Even when you are busy with work, see to it that you will make it up to them by spending time with them during day-offs. The best gift that you can give your partner and your children is your time.

Respect each other. Respect begets respect. Hence, make sure that you show your husband that you have respect for him as a person, as the father of your kids and as a partner. When he makes decisions that you do not like, tell him respectfully to avoid arguments. Also, look at him as the head of the family. Abide by his decisions, as long as it is for the good of the family. 

On the other hand, the husband should also respect the wife entirely. And that includes moments when you are in bed.

Sex matters. This isn’t just about getting the pleasure you need. It is actually a bonding between two people who love each other. That is why it’s called love-making. It is one way to express your love to one another. But you also have to make sure that you will respect each other when it comes to this. If your partner is tired and doesn’t want anything to happen, respect that. It doesn’t mean that she is doing it with another person. It simply means that she IS a person, who gets tired too.  

Trust wholeheartedly. One important thing in a relationship is trust. Without it, your relationship will turn sour. Avoid constant jealousy and do not make up stories since this will make you feel praning (crazy) that your husband is doing something behind your back. You can tell your partner that you trust him in everything. This will make your relationship stronger.

Update your partner. When you are not together, update your partner on the things that you are doing. Have you eaten? Are you going somewhere with someone? Are you coming home late? This way, you are giving value to your relationship. Do not let your partner worry because if you do, it means you do not care about them at all. Also, when you get home, talk to your partner about what happened the whole day. 

Verbal control is a must. Choose your words. Painful words can cut your partner’s heart like a knife and he will never forget this. Instead of shouting to each other when dealing with problems, talk about it in a low voice and loving tone. I know it is hard especially when you are angry. But just do your best to talk nicely to avoid hurting your partner.

Work on house chores together. If you think it is should only be the mom who will do all household chores, you are wrong. Remember, you are a team and things will be easier if you work together. Both husband and wife have their own roles when it comes to chores. Like the husband can take out the trash and the wife can do the laundry. 

Speaking of doing the laundry, make sure that your bedsheets and all your clothes are not just clean but also smelling fresh! Whether you believe it or not, it is actually one key to a lasting relationship. Your partner will feel special when you give him clean and fragrant clothes. Hence, do not forget to always use Del Forever Joy and Love Fabric Conditioner. With this, your clothes will be kept fresh and it will have a long lasting fragrance.

If you are in doubt about this, look at how Team Kramer remained strong through the years with Del! Their love is definitely fresh and would last forever. Mas confident si Mister kung mabango damit nya. Mas feel din nya ang love ni Misis! 

Not convinced? Here is a short comic about Del Fabric Conditioner (Start watching at slide 1):

Del Forever Joy and Love now has 15x longer lasting bangooooo vs a regular detergent brand based on consumer test in Metro Manila. And based on experience, its fragrance is indeed long lasting. I recommend this brand especially for beddings!

X is in the past. Yes, I am referring to your ex-boyfriend and your husband’s ex-girlfriend. If it causes arguments, avoid communicating with the exes. And make it clear with your partner that ex is ex. Past is past. This also applies to some problems you have in the past. Do not keep on digging those problems when it is already buried deep. Leave it there and avoid bringing it up. Remember: Forgive and forget.

Yes should mean yes. Learn to keep your promises. Once you say yes to your partner, do it. If you keep on breaking promises, you will break his trust and will no longer believe you in the future. You don’t want to be told that “drawing na naman” which means that it won’t happen. Do not make a promise that you cannot keep.

Zzzzz on the bed hugging each other. Well, if you have a bed sheet that is not just soft but also fragrant because of the Del Forever Joy and Love Fabric Conditioner, you will surely have a good sleep! But it would be better to get some sleep while your partner’s arms are around you. Although there is an exception to this since not everyone can sleep in this manner. Whatever is your sleeping position, what’s important is that you are beside each other and your partner isn’t on some else’s bed!

I know this is too lengthy! But if you look at it, it is actually simple. Everything is just so simple and there is no reason for making it complicated.

The number one secret is to put God in the center. Remember: Being in a relationship needs a lot of work! Do not just do your role well, work with your partner. This is a team effort! 

If there are times that you feel like giving up because of the numerous problems you are facing with your partner, just hold on. Tighten your grip. Continue with the ride. 

And when you feel like your dream of a long lasting relationship has ended, remember the old couple. Picture them again. Do you think they did not encounter problems too? They did! But they choose to stay.

If you will also choose to stay, you will be like Team Kramer. Magiging petmalu din kayo at lodi ng mga couples if you try to make your love story last a lifetime!

Disclosure: This is a blog entry for the Secrets to a Long Lasting Relationship with Del Forever Fabric Conditioner Nuffnang Blog Contest.

Image Credit: FreePik and Pixabay