Foundations For A Healthy Marriage Relationship, Part 3-Intimacy ad Final Thoughts

Intimacy is key in a marriage relationship. Intimacy is not just about having a satisfying sexual experience with your spouse. Intimacy in a marriage is also about a deeper friendship, companionship, spiritual meaning, fun, passion, parenting, and connection with mutual core values (Markman, Stanley, & Blumberg, 2001). Intimacy really capitalizes on the good stuff about being in a relationship. This source also goes on to illustrate how men and women convey intimacy differently. The key here is to communicate what one is expecting from their spouse.

Women seek intimacy in the form of verbal communication. They want to talk about their day, their plans, their dreams, and their wants. After expressing all of the above, they in turn expect for the husband to feel a need to reciprocate, and be just as enthusiastic about it. Men on the other hand define having intimate moments when they are sharing activities that they enjoy with their spouse. As part of their commitment to one another, couples should invest the time and conversations necessary to facilitate these needs. Assuming what your partner likes and perceives as intimacy based on their gender and past is not wise and can be detrimental.

It is hard to deny that commitment, communication, and intimacy are foundational basics to a healthy marriage relationship. These three functions overlap, resurface, and play their own individual roles in a marriage. Couples committed to being together “for better or for worse”, through thick and thin, with the necessary legwork are buying into a happier and healthier future. With their attention to commitment, couples will thrive on their communication skills, where they will not only bond with each other, but, be able to learn their partners as they further mature, and be able to work through rough situations, while bringing them to a higher level of intimacy.