Advice columnist.

I am not. Apparently I am not very good at giving advice. At least, not on the fly.

Point proven this weekend at my cousin's bridal shower. We were supposed to go around the room and share a piece of advice to make a marriage last. I choked. I decided to err on the side of being funny, and I think I stuttered something about making sure to keep beer in the fridge and he would be happy.

What.is.wrong.with.me??? Some other people had funny things to say, and some had sugary adorable things to say, like "kiss him everyday" and "find a hobby to do together."

Upon further review I would have told her this:

Remember why you fell in love in the first place.

I have been thinking about this quite a bit. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about 5 years with my husband, and what has made it great and what has not worked. And I realized that one of the things I do when I am angry or upset is that I go back to what I fell in love with in the beginning.

The dimple on his left cheek. The way that he tells a story. The way that we laugh together, all the time. The way he can be friends with anyone in about 1 minute flat. The fact that my husband is the most interesting person I have ever known.

This is what is important. It was what we built a relationship on. And while you change, together, and grow it is always important to remember the things you loved in the beginning. Those may be the things that get you through the hard times.

There is my two cents for the day :o)