Out of all the people you could have chosen, your spouse was the one you pledged to spend the rest of forever with. Rain or shine, you are in it for the long run - might as well make sure your "forever" is also your best friend!
Here are nine awesome tricks that will help you to strengthen your relationship with your sweetheart and stay best friends forever.
1. Have inside jokes
Laughter bonds people together in a very special way. If you are looking to stay best friends with your forever, make sure laughter is a regular part of your life together. Inside jokes especially tend to spark feelings of close friendship. Because of this, the best friend package almost always includes oodles of inside jokes to snicker at together. Laughing together and creating inside jokes will help your friendship thrive.
2. Build each other up
The world is full of people that are more than happy to tear you apart and shatter your confidence. You should never be one of those people to your spouse. Always use your words to lift and strengthen your spouse. Compliment him on the things he does well. Resist the urge to correct her all the time. Showing your spouse that you are on the same team will increase his or her love for you and the desire to support you in return.
3. Don't forget the little things
Believe it or not, the little things matter. A true best friend will always remember things like birthdays, favorite foods, etc. Just because it has been years since your first date doesn't entitle you to overlook or forget those little things you were so eager to learn about each other at the time. Instead, try to show your sweetheart that you have not forgotten those little things that make him who he is.
If your husband dislikes tomatoes, the next time you make a salad, consider putting a little bowl of tomatoes on the side instead of adding them to the mix; or show your wife that you haven't forgotten the time she mentioned that she loved pink peonies by randomly surprising her with a bouquet of them. Showing your spouse that you still remember the little things will help you grow closer together and help your spouse feel appreciated and loved.
4. Be transparent
Trust plays a vital role in the strength of a friendship. If you want to stay close to your best friend forever, you must learn to trust him or her, and seek to earn his or her trust as well. Show her that you trust her with your past mistakes, current successes and dreams for the future. Confide in him when you are afraid, embarrassed, angry, insecure, confused and stressed. Let him rejoice in your happiness and cry with you in your sorrows. Tell her about your day and seek her counsel when making decisions. Hiding or holding back things will cause your spouse to feel untrusted and slowly tear your relationship apart. Marriage means no secrets.
5. Prove your unwavering loyalty
A true best friend is loyal to you in every circumstance. Make sure your sweetheart knows that you defend and respect him or her when he or she is not around. Your spouse should feel confident that you would never speak unkindly of him or her in front of friends, family or strangers.
6. Forgive quickly
What is the use of holding a grudge against "your everything"? Why put yourself through the misery of harboring bad feelings toward the person you are supposed to love the most in this world?
True best friends solve their problems as quickly as possible. They know that their friendship is more important than some silly quarrel they are having at the moment. It might take a lot of talking and tears, but they will eventually find the source of the problem, address it, exchange heartfelt apologies and move on. If you want to stay best friends with your forever, you need to truly forgive past mistakes and seek forgiveness for your own blunders. Always prioritize maintaining a sweet relationship with your spouse over the desire to win a fight.
7. Show interest in your spouse's interests
You don't have to love basketball to attend a game. You don't have to love art to visit an art museum. And you don't have to do what you want to do all the time. If you are wanting to build a stronger friendship with your spouse, spend time doing things with them that he or she enjoys. Who knows? You might actually have fun.
8. Pray for him or her
The simple act of praying for your spouse in your daily prayers can greatly impact your relationship for the better. Praying for your spouse is a sweet way of showing that you care about his or her well-being. Imagine how you would feel if you overheard your spouse praying for you and thanking God for bringing you into his or her life, and asking Him to bless you. Wouldn't you feel loved?
Try adding your sweetheart's name into your conversations with God. Even if you do not pray aloud for your spouse to overhear, simply remembering to thank God for him or her every day will cause your love for your spouse to grow dramatically.
9. Let out your crazy
Remember how you used to flirt and have fun together when you were dating? Don't stop! Don't put away your fun, crazy side just because you are a "grown-up" now. Start a pillow fight, go on spontaneous adventures together and have an ugly face contest in front of the bathroom mirror at night. Try to keep things light and fun every so often. Remind yourselves of what amazing friends you are.
