The Marriage Cheerleader

An article in the Wichita Eagle questioned the safety of what modern cheerleading has become–pyramids three people-high and tiny teenage girls flipping their feet above their heads in the air. Commissions are looking into ways to regulate cheerleading as a sport in order to inject more safety measures. It’s not that cheerleading yields more injuries than other sports, but rather the accidents, like spine and head injuries, can be much more serious and potentially fatal or life-changing.

And today I felt a bit like a cheerleader myself…a marriage cheerleader.

I was between recording my second podcast where I discussed a blog I wrote about feeling hurt by a choice my spouse made and seeing a client who struggles to stay motivated in his work to have a better relationship with his wife. I hear my voice through the megaphone yelling, “You can do it. Go. Go. Go. Be a team. You know. You know. The grass ain’t always greener, so, so, so. Do the work. You won’t regret. Working through the pain is your best bet.”

Then I would do a double back handspring and a straddle jump.

Being a marriage cheerleader is hard work, but it comes quite natural for me, unlike the back handspring would be. Because I believe in my soul most marriages could make it with a precision strategy and a lot of hard work. And walking away without giving it your all is missing out on God’s opportunity to heal us and help us grow and potentially lead those he put into our care into heaven.

The Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip: Be your own marriage cheerleader by praising your husband for something he did well today.