How I Have Stayed Married Happily for 26 Years
Dawn Taylor • February 17, 2026
I have been with my husband for 30 years this April!!! And married for almost 26 of them. To say it has all been easy? That would be a lie. To say we are happier than we have ever been right now? That is the greatest thing ever. How have we done it? I asked Mr Taylor and here are our biggest tips:
- Learn to fight. Learn how to shut up and stop and listen. Learn how to walk away when you are about to get mean. How to regulate yourself so that you can engage in a reasonable healthy way in order to get the result needed. With that being said? You also need to learn to agree to disagree and be ok with that. You are two totally different people who have different dreams/goals/ideas in life and beliefs and that means you will not always 100% agree on everything. You can hate their viewpoint and not hate them.
- “How can I love you even more right now” this is the motto in our marriage. That means that as we go through our days we actively seek out ways to make the other persons life easier or more enjoyable. This is not a Hallmark way of doing things, this is making them a coffee while making your own, seeing how exhausted they are at the end of the day so cleaning the kitchen for them even though it was not on your list or not your responsibility. This can be NOT good if it is one sided though. This works only if you BOTH want to be engaged in being healthier and happier.
- Stay each others best friend. DON’T LOSE YOUR SILLY!!!! If you are wanting to reach out to someone else with the big wins, or the funny stories it is time to reconnect. I want laughter daily if possible. He is also my best friend. My person. That makes ALL the difference in how we interact.
- Allow honesty with disconnect. We are very open to talk when we feel disconnected and there is NO blame. We accept that it is where we are, we talk about what we need to change and create a plan. It is normal!!! EVERY couple has times of disconnection. It doesn’t mean you are over. It just means you have to plug back into each other and try a little harder for a bit. Honestly? Most of the time just saying the words reconnects us and it is simple. But sometimes? It takes work.
I promise you can do it!!!! Ignore this “love month” bullshit and focus on your relationship. It is a partnership. It is a team. Put even half as much work into it as you do other things in your life and I will help you all celebrate when you hit 30 years!!
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