How to mend a broken marriage

In our busy society it has become very easy to take even the most important relationships for granted - our friendships, close companionships, and especially our marriages are neglected and taken for granted. A once hard fought trophy marriage now sits languishing on a shelf. Why? Simple. While a long-lasting marriage is indeed a great prize to be had in order to reach that goal couples should never treat it like a trophy.

Why does love in a marriage seem to just fade away
For most couples, this isn't intentional but more a result of a busy lifestyle resulting in temporary neglect, similar, although in a larger scale, to forgetting to water a favorite plant or feed a family pet. The sad part is that there are many married couples that realize almost too late that their feelings for each other has all but dried up and their love has almost died. Fortunately, most relationship can still be resuscitated with the proper attention and care and with time the old feelings of love can begin to bloom again.

Why A Marriage Should Not Be Treated Like A Trophy
In our society we place a high priority on being the best, and we reward many of those accomplishments with trophies. The Vince Lombardi trophy for winning the Super Bowl, and the Stanley Cup for hockey are examples. With this kind of consistent reinforcement is there any wonder why a marriage isn't viewed in a similar way.
I mean just think about all of the time and money spent on the dating ritual. The buying of meals, clothing, jewelry, dining out, and hours communicating with each other through phone, text, and email services. All building up to that engagement ring, the popping of the question, and the thrill when she says yes. Talk about making the team.

This is soon followed by even more work by both parties to make sure that no one backs out at the last minute. No wonder why when the last I do is said and the bouquet is thrown that the couple feels like they have truly won a trophy!
But as I said, the marriage is indeed a special prize for all parties involved but it should never be treated like a trophy because in doing so it marks the beginning of the end for your marriage.

What Do You Mean
Well let's examine a few things. By the time most person gets married they have won several real trophies in their life. Sport trophies, swimming trophies, even spelling trophies! Their have been many businesses sustained for decades whose whole purpose was to endow a physical object with enough prestige (with just a hint of exclusivity) to make people compete against each other in hopes of one day possessing it.
The irony of it all, is no matter how important the trophy is at the time, whether it's the World Series or a 12-year old's Little League trophy they all have one thing in common. The shine eventually fades and they all end up collecting dust on some shelve somewhere gathering occasional glances and memory tugs, or worse, relegated to a dusty corner in an attic or basement.

You see, the underlying problem for most couples that possess a trophy mentality is they have begun to believe that since they worked so hard to get it that they no longer have to work to keep it. It's that mindset that makes one time great athletes fat and makes one time great marriages stale.
For a marriage to not just survive but to grow it has to be worked on constantly. You see there's very little danger that the high-school trophy that sits on your mantle piece will vanish. It will just sit there gathering dust; however, a marriage relationship neglected too long will soon cease to exist.

So What Can Be Done
It is vital to keep in mind that in order for any relationship to survive it has to be treated like a living, growing, important thing, and just like the living, can only flourish with plenty of love and attention.

Alas, even with fair warning there will still be those, who promise to tend to their marriages tomorrow, who will look up one day from all that they believed to be important only to realize their marriage is on its last leg or worse. Then and only then will they go on a frantic search for someone to save what never should have gotten sick.