Wedding season usually starts in spring and is a fresh reminder of the bliss that marriage can bring two people. But how long does this bliss last and what about it makes  people continuously search or fight for it? Are married people really happier than their unmarried counterparts?
             For one thing, there is such a thing as marital bliss. It's also called the honeymoon phase and can last anywhere from 3 months after the wedding to 2 years. If you've ever been on vacation and met a of couple of newlyweds, you can usually see the honeymoon phase written on their faces. So let's not compare unmarried life to this phase in marriage because it would be an unfair comparison. It's what comes after the honeymoon phase that can give insight into whether or not  people are happier after being married.  
          Marriage does have many physical and psychological perks. For example married people are more likely to live longer, get sick less often, and have lower rates of depression.  And it's not surprising that this is true because you are more likely to take care of yourself or be taken care of if you are married.  Your partner looks out for you and likewise. However, every marriage is not the same. Just looking around you,  I'm sure you can see that married people can be happy or miserable. I'm sure you know at least one or two married individuals who just want to get out of the marriage or stays for the wrong reasons. In these cases, marriage can decrease a person's immune system and increase mental stress. After all, it really comes down to what kind of relationship you build in your marriage that fosters your level of happiness. 
          Marriage does not by itself bring more happiness, and just like wealth or fame, the bliss dwindles with time. The reality is that happiness in a marriage comes from hard work and commitment to the relationship. People who build a strong foundation in their marriage and foster a strong friendship with their partner are more likely to sustain their happiness and experience the benefits of having a life long partner. Humans are social creatures and we were all born to love. Overall, marriage and happiness is always about  how you nurture your relationship.

           Moms will always have a special piece of our heart because we share a bond with them that is irreplaceable and incomparable to any other relationship we will ever have.  All moms are different, and not all moms are who we need them to be, but all moms do give their children the love that they are capable of giving. Sometimes this is more or less than what we need. Nevertheless celebrate her whether or not she is who you wish she could be. And despite the heartache, celebrate her whether or not she is still around. 
         What can you love about your mom? Let us count the ways. 

1. She loved you even before she met you
2. She lets you eat first or get her share of your favorite food
3. Eating her home cooked meals always makes you feel like a kid again
4. She worried for you so you could make reckless decisions as a teenager
5. She forgave you for each time you were ever mad, ungrateful, or said "I hate you"
6. She's not perfect, but gave you her all anyway
7. She always believes in you, even when she doesn't agree with you
8. Giving you tough love hurt her more than you
9. She always wants the best for you, even when you're grown
10. Being your mom is the hardest job and best thing she'll ever do

             May is mental health awareness month. Although the purpose of this blog has been to share information relating to self awareness, mental wellness, and relationship health, which are tied in with mental health, I do not often make "mental health" the explicit message in my blog posts.  I find that mental health awareness should be something in the fore front of our minds and not just allocated to one month a year. But of course, I am biased about this. Nevertheless, I do want to draw attention to some important points about mental health awareness month.
         There are so many people in our community who can be considered as having "mental health" issues, such as our uncle who drinks too much, our friend who can't seem to hold down a stable job, or our co-worker who is in an emotionally abusive relationship. These individuals may or may not recognize that their circumstances are impacting their mental health. Sometimes we may not realize how our circumstances impact our mental health until other things alert us, like health problems, losing a job, or our children acting out in school. Mental health awareness is about staying aware of our thoughts and feelings, so we can intervene at early signs of emotional trouble. 
            Mental health problems are very prominent in our society for many reasons that I won't get into detail about. The point here is that we are all susceptible to having mental health problems. As long as there are bills to be paid, expectations to be met, relationships that we have, or natural disasters in our community, there is potential for being impacted mentally. A part of living is coping with what comes our way, positive or negative. It's always easier to cope with the positive things, but it's the negative things that challenge us the most. Accepting that we are susceptible to having mental health problems can help increase our own emotional awareness and ability to ask for help when we can't cope on our own.  
           There are some problems we should seek help for, and some problems that we can cope with on our own. But always keep in mind that even a small gesture of kindness can really help improve our and another's mental health. Paying attention is key and can make a big difference. We can help by being attuned to the emotions of those we care about and doing something about it when we feel their pain  (like giving a hug, taking them to lunch,  listening without judgement, or validating their feelings). Small gestures can be first steps to helping ourselves or others heal from emotional hurt. They can empower us to find the positives in very  negative situations, and help us cope through. So during this month, how can you empower yourself to increase your emotional awareness?