We're all familiar with the idea of a "gap year," where someone might take a year off from going to college after graduating high school to travel or "find themselves."
However, one couple says that taking a gap year from their relationship actually saved their marriage.
Michelle Elizabeth explained in a blog on Scary Mommy that she and her husband were going through all the typical marriage problems - especially after trying to combine their two blended families. Neither of the pair had any desire to get a divorce.
So, Michelle decided to move out.
They remained married, only speaking fleetingly through a quick phone call or text message. Michelle says the time apart actually worked! She wrote, "Not being around each other stopped all of those petty squabbles we had over unimportant things."
Michelle was able to find new hobbies and rediscover her passions for old ones. She started lifting weights and writing more, and her sleep improved.
Eventually, they did grow to miss each other. She wrote, "After six months had passed, we reconnected. We both missed each other, but not in the way where you’re just lonely and want to be around whoever is willing to suffer your presence. It was that longing for the other person’s company because they bring something to your life that you can’t find anywhere else."
Michelle fully believes it was the gap year that saved her marriage. "People will tell you that the key to a successful marriage is choosing to love the person you’re with every day. Love is a choice that one makes every day, no matter what happens," she wrote.
"But a strong foundation for a good marriage is built on the unwavering fact that you know that your partner will be there for you no matter the distance between you. Even if that distance is more emotional than physical, you know that they will never leave you. That’s the foundation for an unbreakable marriage that leads to a lifetime of happiness," she said.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram