In writing about how your marriage changes, we don't mean how marriage changed you or your spouse. We don't mean how you maybe changed your name. We don't mean your income tax status. We don't mean your legal status.

How your marriage changes refers to the predictable and normal stages of marriage that will have an impact on your relationship with your spouse. Writers and marriage experts have listed different names for the stages of marriage and even different numbers of the stages of marriage.

We list five stages of marriage.

Five Stages of Marriage

• Romantic Love
• Reality
• Transformation
• Mature Love
• Widowhood

What Can Change in Your Marriage

A few areas in your marriage where you may notice both positive and negative change through the years include:

• Passion and Sexual Intimacy
• Time Issues
• Level of Communication
• Date Nights
• Responsibilities
• Feeling of Connectedness
• Amount of Laughter and Play
• Unfulfilled Hopes, Dreams, and Expectations
• Health
• How You Perceive Commitment
• Sense of Acceptance
• Financial Situation and Goals
• Respect For One Another
• The Way You Deal With Conflict

What You Can Do

Bottom line, you can and should do what you know will be helpful for your unique marriage relationship, including:

• Remember that challenging times in your marriage are usually temporary and that the love you have for one another won't necessarily fade during tough times.
• Talk with each other. Don't ignore problems. Deal with them.
• Work at keeping your marriage off the back burner and out of a rut.