8.04.2009

Take Marriage Quiz--Get Potato Bird

Okay, you might not be as lucky as I was to get this 100% hand crafted baked potato bird, complete with cucumber wings and its very own spaghetti nest, but I do think this quiz will bless your marriage, as it has ours. Some of my answers helped us realize that the exciting and spontaneous nature of our marriage has been somewhat neglected since Paisley's birth. So we've started making a conscious effort to have fun (hence the potato bird). Other adventures the quiz inspired: Instead of having our dinner group eat at our house, we put our meals in homemade pinatas and went to the park--the sandwiches were only a little squished. And last weekend Brandon and I had a blast snorkeling at Lake Mead, despite our bikes falling off the car and skipping down the highway. Isn't marriage wonderful? We are grateful for moments of reflection that help us appreciate what we've got and work to make it better. So take the quiz and enjoy!

To assist in marital communication, try the following exercise together. Allow yourselves sufficient time when there will be no interruptions. You might wish to divide the exercise into several sessions, considering two or three statements at each session.

First, respond individually in writing to the statements. Then exchange papers and talk about what you’ve written. Don’t try to review your responses simultaneously. While one of you is reading or speaking, the other should listen or ask clarifying questions. Then switch roles.

Complete the following statements:
1. In our marriage, I feel loved when you …
2. In our marriage, I feel appreciated when you …
3. In our marriage, I am happiest when …
4. In our marriage, I am saddest when …
5. In our marriage, I am angriest when …
6. In our marriage, I would like more …
7. In our marriage, I would like less …
8. In our marriage, I feel awkward when …
9. In our marriage, I feel uneasy when …
10. In our marriage, I feel excited when …
11. In our marriage, I feel close to you when …
12. In our marriage, I feel distant from you when …
13. In our marriage, I feel most afraid when …
14. My greatest concern/fear about our marriage is …
15. What I like most about myself is …
16. What I dislike most about myself is …
17. The feelings that I have the most difficulty sharing with you are …
18. The feelings that I can share most easily with you are …
19. Our marriage could be greatly improved with just a little effort if we …
20. The one thing in our marriage that needs the most immediate attention is …
21. The best thing about our marriage is …

Brent A. Barlow, “Getting to Know You Better: A Marriage Quiz,” Ensign, Sep 1981, 43–45