Love in marriage grows through mutual understanding—the dialog, or conversation. Love is stunted through a lack of mutual understanding, which is seen as the monolog—or one-way conversation. One or both parties want to be heard, but no one is listening.

We are far too easily contented with what we contribute or not to our spouse in marriage, and we rarely stop to consider, what we are holding back?

Kindness is woven so tightly into the definition of love that it's easy to skim past it. But if we slow down and look at what kindness actually asks of us, we find something far more demanding and far more rewarding than simple politeness.