How to create healthy rhythms in your first six months of marriage

I don’t know about your story, but there was a lot of transition in our first six months of marriage. 

When I think back to our first 6 months, our life was packed, but in SO many different directions!

Brian got a new job in ministry and was at camps and retreats, service trips and VBS. His life and schedule was FULL. 

For me, I was in a job where I wasn’t thriving. I worked at a nonprofit doing fundraising and, for so many reasons, it wasn’t healthy for me. Literally, my health started to decline because of the job experience. I was exhausted and drained, and ran through my sick days because I started having symptoms of an autoimmune disease. It was just not the right fit. 

So we were both in new roles as husband and wife, Brian was in a new role in his job, and I was starting to doubt and question what I’m supposed to be doing in this world.

Because of my health, and wanting me to pursue work I was passionate about, Brian encouraged me to intern for wedding photographers and really pursue that career. I got a job as a teacher’s assistant to make a bit of money while chasing my dreams.

It was a rollercoaster because EVERYTHING was so NEW.

But now that I look back on that season, I can see how pivotal every decision was- both big and small. 

From deciding who cooked and who took out the trash to what we did on the weekends and who we spent time with– all of that established our foundation as a couple and as a family. 

The big decision of leaving my job to pursue my dreams created a base built on knowing and understanding what each other needed, even if it wasn’t easy. 

These days our schedule looks VERY different than my iCalendar from back in 2014. 

We didn’t know it at the time, but we were developing patterns for our marriage and family. It cannot be overstated how important it is to have super open and HONEST communication about EVERYTHING. No topic is too small or too big. I mean, we had to talk about how we brush our teeth differently! 

With this really solid foundation under your feet, you feel safe, and you feel like you have a good and healthy rhythm– one that carries you through 6 and 36 years. Forever and ever. 

xo-

Kelsey