Marriage Advice: From my mom and dad

Want some marriage advice from my parents who have been married for 30+ years?  I asked them for advice for my girlfriend who was getting married a few years ago.  I didn’t edit any of this, this was verbatim said to me over the phone in October 2008.

My mom: Take care of each other and nobody’s perfect so you have to know the other person’s temper.  And don’t talk too much.  Don’t complain too much. And one person gets mad then the other person should be quiet.  When you argue then it’ll be a big mess. And sometimes if you care too much they think you’re nagging.  That’s the problem.  The best this is not to argue, if you don’t have to argue, don’t argue.

My dad: Man or woman?  I can tell for the man, the man has to be extremely patient.  And tolerant.  Because he takes a lot of crap from the woman who yells all the time.  You know that.  I just play deaf and sometimes I smile and if I do that you see and I don’t argue with her, she has nothing and the whole thing will end in an hour.  If I argue it’ll last for days, so I’ve learned that.  If you’re going to get into an argument realize they’re not going to change and say oh, ok and that’s what you think OK. Then they’ll start to ask, “What do you think?” and you say, “It doesn’t matter.”  And then find something agreeable.  Just avoid arguments.  Just remember your husband is trying his best and he may be less mature than you woman are because men are but after a certain age then they become just as mature.

Gotta love my parents.