| In my work with couples certain themes have | | | | Couples stop treating each other well - Somehow we |
| emerged that can help us understand how a couple | | | | succumb to the notion that all the things we used to do |
| that was once so close can drift so far apart. | | | | that brought us together are no longer necessary. |
| Let's take a closer look at a few of the contributing | | | | It's like the old joke about the couple that has been |
| factors to drifting apart. | | | | married for many years when one day the wife says |
| Life got in the way - Somehow, in the midst of the | | | | to the husband: "You never tell me you love me |
| hustle and bustle of everyday life couples seem to | | | | anymore!" To which the husband responds "Well, dear, |
| forget about each other. The initial closeness they | | | | I told you I love you the day we got married and if |
| once felt has been damaged by focus on work, the | | | | anything changes I will let you know." |
| bills, the kids, you name it. | | | | Resentments are held - Old grudges, hurts and |
| Couples begin to take each other for granted - A | | | | resentments are like a cancer in the relationship that |
| close cousin to letting life get in the way, taking each | | | | eats away at the closeness of the couple. |
| other for granted slowly eats away at any connection | | | | Communication slows down and stops - This is the |
| a couple might feel. | | | | most frequent reason given by couples as a factor in |
| What makes it worse is that it is so very easy to do. | | | | the couple drifting apart. |
| Keeping priorities straight in our stressful lives can be | | | | Once a couple stops communicating, it's just a matter |
| very difficult. We get so caught up in simply getting | | | | of time before couples drift from soul mates to room |
| through the day that we forget about making a life | | | | mates. |
| with each other. | | | | |