Gender
A person can be classified as masculine or feminine because of biological orientation and social roles that society expects him or her to play. An individual can be identified as male, female, both, or neither. It is through socialization that individuals are categorized into different genders. Gender disorder in marriage often leads to problems as a partner can think that the other has taken over his or her roles.
Love
Love is defined differently by different people. This paper defines it as a strong affection towards someone. Love is what binds two people in a marriage. Love should therefore exist before marriage.
Commitment
Commitment is defined as a promise to someone regarding an obligation. Individuals in marriages and partnerships need to be loyal to each other to ensure that whatever the feelings they stay together for long (Lamana and Reidman, 2005).
Trust
Trust can be defined as the ability of a person to rely on another’s integrity and promise. Parties in marriage must have trust in each other because it is a basis for the growth of their union. It is an undeniable fact that lack of trust results in problems in marriage.
Fidelity
Fidelity is a virtue of loyalty or faithfulness between couples. Since marriage is a lifetime union, faithfulness is a pertinent ingredient. Couples must be faithful and loyal to each other by not having affairs with other parties. If fidelity is maintained, marriage is bound to last for a lifetime.
Spouse and life partner
A spouse is an individual who is a party to marriage while a life partner is a close friend who often lasts for a lifetime. Life partners can marry or remain unmarried. They can be of the same or opposite sexes.
Pleasure
This term refers to a sense of feeling which leads to delight and gratification. This sense of gratification among couples leads to satisfaction and thereby minimizes chances of unfaithfulness.
Partnership
It is an understanding in which two or more people consent to get into to better their interests. The moment two people decide to get married, it marks the commencement of a partnership to which they must always remain committed (Lamana and Reidman, 2005).
Sexuality
This is a means by which individuals express themselves personally. Sexuality in marriage is crucial as it begins with gender identity. It clearly outlines who plays the masculine or the feminine role. Both parties must be comfortable with each other’s sexuality to attain and maintain contentment in marriage.
Romance
Romance is an outcome of a strong affectionate feeling towards another person which generates gratifying emotion that is full of exhilaration and intimacy. Romance comes about when physical needs are met. Parties in a marriage need to be romantic as it harnesses love and loyalty.
Sexual satisfaction
Sexual contact between partners guarantees the fulfillment of a basic want. It is a necessity for good marriage because it is what physically bonds the partners.
Communication
This is the passage of information from one person to another. It is vital for a couple to always effectively communicate to minimize chances for misunderstanding.
The six (6) styles of love
They are; ludus, pragma, mania, eros, storge and agape. They all have great significance as they reflect on how different people perceive love to be. People look for different things in their associations with others. These include sexual pleasure, passion, sexual favors, affection, and commitment among other things. They all reflect on people’s behavior towards others (Knox and Schacht, 2008).
Elements of a healthy relationship
Couples should spend quality time together because it increases their love for one another. In doing so, they get to know each other’s weaknesses and strengths. There should be forgiveness. In case of a misunderstanding between parties, they should be willing to accept mistakes and forgive each other. Constant communication among the parties also fortifies their commitment to each other.
Things I should know
Love is what unites a couple. Lack of trust can cause a collapse of a marriage. I should be committed to my spouse or partner to ensure the continuity of my marriage. Finally, sexual satisfaction serves to maintain a marriage. By all means, there is no need to be unfaithful as it is immoral.
References
Lamana, M., & Reidman, A. (2005). Marriage and Families: Making Choices in a Diverse Society. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth.
Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2008). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage And the Family. 10th Ed. New York: Cengage Learning.