Growth Marriage

Latest Episodes:

Maurice and Diane May 01, 2013

Show notes

I recently sat down and had a chat with Maurice Millett. Maurice was married for 54 years. He got married to his sweetheart, Diane, when he was 19. He was so young that his mom had to sign off on the marriage paperwork for him. Recently, Diane passed away, and I asked him to share some of his experiences from his 50-plus years in a happy partnership. He was kind enough to oblige, and we had a pretty long conversation. I've cut it down a bit for time and focused on sharing his most relevant relationship advice with you all. Maurice and his wife were both raised as a Mormon (or member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and raised his children as very active members of the church. It is very evident in the stories he shares that religion was a big part… if not the biggest part of their lives. To give you an idea of how their relationship was, take a look at the poem below. I copied it (with permission, of course) from a huge binder full of love poems that Maurice has written through their years together. It's obvious that he loved Diane 100%. And in this interview, it's apparent that she loved him 100%. This is the type of love I aspire to, and a story we can all learn something from. Summer, Winter, Good Times, Bad – Here's how I see the life we've had. I've loved each and every year since you became my bride. I love how you've supported me in everything I've tried. I love you in the morning, I love you every night. I love you even when Im' wrong, I love you when you're right. I love you when you're happy. I love you when you're sad. I love it when I know that I have somehow made you glad. I love your kind and generous heart. I love how much you care. I love my safe and welcome home. I love knowing you are there. I love you gave yourself to me without my even proposin'. I love the children you have borne. I love those that we've chosen. I love the greatest grandkids that any two could know. I love our years together as we have watched them grow. I loved you when we both were young, I love you now we're old. My youthful love was silver, now, my love is gold. -Maurice Millett

Dave and Kat Apr 23, 2013

Show notes

True Love still exists...you just have to listen.

Julia and Devin Apr 16, 2013

Show notes

The Loveumentary has been a project in my mind for a long time. For years, actually. And over the years, the project has taken many shapes in my brain. It evolved and changed and morphed. With each new iteration in my brain, I got closer to launching this idea to the world. The day after I published my first episode, I had a few close friends reach out to me and tell me how much they loved the episode. And then they gave me ideas. Feedback. Pointers. Advice. This was my project until I shared it. Now it's not mine anymore. It's ours. For the past few months, I've grown. A lot. I've grown emotionally as I've learned truths about myself through these real, honest conversations. I've grown in my ability to record and produce a podcast. I've grown as an interviewer, an artist, and a creator. What I didn't realize until having this conversation with Devin and Julia, is that all of this growth can only be attributed to you. Seriously. I can't be my best self in life (or create the best version of The Loveumentary) alone. I need others to share their perspective, their experience, their knowledge, and their encouragement to help me see and experience things that I would not otherwise have the capacity to see. A good partnership accelerates and encourages growth and progress. We cannot be at our best selves alone. Part of a truly loving relationship… at its core, is the ability to see your partner as presently perfect, but to hold a future vision. This conversation helped me realize that what I'm truly yearning for is to creating my life with someone who sees me and encourages me to live to my greatest potential. It's like finding a co-founder for life. This concept is the most appealing and compelling reason for me to look forward a relationship than I ever could have dreamed of. Commitment scares the bejeezus out of me (which is another post for another day), but the way Julia and Devin painted this picture, they lit a fire in my heart, and a desire to find a partnership like they have. I hope they inspire you as much as they inspired me. Big thanks to them for inviting me into their home, feeding me amazing food, and being phenomenal hosts and friends. This episode is just so so good! GAH!

The Bachelor-cast Mar 25, 2013

Show notes

Wherein four bachelors talk about love… a topic on which we are definitely not experts. We cover why it's important to know what you want and who you are before you can really fall in love. We talk about the simplicity of the concept of love, and how complicated it gets when you involve people. We crack jokes, get deep, and revel in awkward silences.

Vegor And Errin Mar 10, 2013

Show notes

Vegor and Errin are two of my favorite humans on the planet. They are hilarious, and quirky, and not ashamed to be themselves… which is why they are such a perfect match for each other. In this episode, Errin and Vegor talk about the importance of being with someone who "gets" you. Someone who can be your best friend. Someone who understands and loves the way you see the world. I've spent many hours with Vegor and Errin, and it's so refreshing and entertaining to experience their friendship. They're like a well-practiced comedy duo full of pop culture references, dripping sarcasm, and kind-heartedness. Errin and Vegor also struggled with infertility for many years. Listening to the story of the time, effort, and pain they went through add their little daughter to their family was both touching and heart-wrenching. It's interesting to see how each couple in this series has their own unique struggle to overcome. Their own challenges to face. Each struggle is unique, and can only be overcome by two people coming together in mutual support for one another. It's a beautiful thing to face struggles with someone you love by your side.

MeiMei And Kiran at Bold Academy Mar 01, 2013

Show notes

Just a quick heads up, there are a few swears in this episode, and there is also light discussion around the idea that most romantic couples have sex. So if you don't like either of those things, this episode may not be for you. This episode with MeiMei and Kiran was recorded at The Bold Academy. The Bold Academy is the reason I've been MIA for so long recently… well, that and the holidays and a slight lack of motivation. This episode is a little different than past episodes because it was recorded in a classroom setting with 20 or so people in the room. So it's more of a discussion led by MeiMei and Kiran. MeiMei and Kiran are two amazing people. They are even more amazing together. You'll love hearing their love story… and you'll love even more hearing about how they keep their love alive. We also talk about when is the right time to leave a relationship, whether or not monogamy is a natural human tendency, open relationships, and a lot of other fun stuff! Hope you enjoy.

A.Rae And Neil Jan 16, 2013

Show notes

Neil and A. Rae have been through a lot. And when I say, "a lot," it's not an understatement. I daresay they've been through just about everything you can imagine… and they've made it out alive, and with smiles on their faces. The most touching moments in this podcast, for me, are when Neil and A. Rae talk about losing their son, and how it transformed their lives, and when Neil talks about how mistaken he was to believe that the single life is/was better than married life. Talking to A. Rae and Neil made me realize that I have a tendency to give up too easily on things that are important. True love is worth fighting for. It's worth enduring misery, and heartache. It's worth forgiving and learning and struggling together. Without the struggles, the mistakes, and the fight, love is weak… and it may not even be love at all.

Alisa And Eric Dec 12, 2012

Show notes

When I first set up this interview through Alisa, I was excited to see what the marriage of a marriage therapist and dating coach would look like. I didn't know their backstory, their current situation, or even Eric's name for that matter. But I had heard a lot of what Alisa teaches, and I liked it. I was curious if putting her tactics into practice in a marriage would pay off. I figured the best way to find out was to talk to her and see. After spending well over an hour with them, I can tell you from my experience that it works. Although they are busy working and raising a family (Eric works as a fire fighter and running a business on the side, while Alisa acts as a marriage and relationship therapist and dating coach), their worlds are centered around each other. They have made an effort to understand each others love languages. They are kind and giving towards each other. They have fun together. They are still a couple, not just two separate individuals legally bonded together and living under the same roof. Eric and Alisa are a perfect example of what I would love to have in a relationship one day. I hope you enjoy their hilarious stories, and learn as much as I did from this conversation.

Cole And JaCee Dec 03, 2012

Show notes

Cole, my cousin, and JaCee have been married for 9 years, and have three amazing kids. They were in town last weekend for the holidays visiting the family. I got to spend an entire day with their little family, and we had a blast playing games, reading stories, and catching up. After they left, I was talking to my Mom and she said, "They'd be perfect for your podcast, wouldn't they?" It was like she'd taken the words out of my brain. I tracked them down, and this interview is the result. What really impressed me with Cole and JaCee is how important their faith is to the success of their relationship. On the outside the have the image of this idealistic, perfect family. After talking to them, though, I realized that every couple – no matter how happy, how strong, or how perfect they are for each other – has their own struggles and challenges. In this interview, we talk about how faith and trust in one another is vital to a relationship, how JaCee and Cole deal with going long periods of time without seeing each other, and how they've battled pornography as a team, and how that battle has brought them closer together. Their love is a fairytale kind of love… but only because they make it that way. Love is an investment. You can only get something out of it if you put something into it.

Jason And Tommy Nov 19, 2012

Show notes

On my way to visit Tommy and Jason in Salt Lake this week, I turned on my Beatles mix on my ipod. Right as I pulled off the freeway exit for their home, the song "All You Need is Love" came on. It played right until I pulled up to their doorstep. It was the perfect beginning to a fantastic interview. Tommy and Jason have been together for almost 4 years. Unlike Torben and Marissa from last week who have tons of things in common with each other, Tommy and Jason have fundamentally different personalities and interests. But as you'll hear in the interview, these differences have really helped to bring them closer together, and to understand themselves and individuals in a more complete way. In this interview, we cover the importance of continuous love and support, the ability to be vulnerable. We talk about the struggles a couple can face when family isn't fully supportive of your relationship choices, and how the state of limerence (or Twitterpation, as some call it) can be addicting, and prevent us from ever fully experiencing the fulfillment of investing in a long-term relationship. If you want to be part of The Loveumentary, or you know someone who might, please drop me a line here. The same goes for if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to make the podcast better. Here's a link to the intro and outro music for the podcast in case you want to check it out. If you like this podcast, it would mean a lot to me if you'd share it with your friends. Love you all!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected