MARRY WELL, LIVE LONGER

WIN A FREE LOVE STORY (NOVEL)

By commenting on my blog, you'll have a chance to win a free love story (novel). This week, it's In the Shade of the Jacaranda by Nikki Arana (Revell). I'll draw a name and let the winner know each Monday. The more you comment, the more times your name goes in the hat.

MARRY WELL, LIVE LONGER

The following is from an article in The Florida Times Union:

If you want a long life, find a good marriage partner. Married adults are healthier than divorced, widowed, or never-married adults, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That means they are more likely to be in good health, less likely to suffer from headaches and psychological distress, less likely to smoke, drink heavily, or be physically inactive.

These benefits didn't apply to people in cohabiting relationships. Their health profiles were more similar to divorced and separated adults, the centers reported.

"The association between marital status and health is most striking in the youngest age group although it persists throughout the age groups studied," reported the CDC on its website.

The CDC did not assign a reason to the marital benefits, but it did confirm the real world experiences. Good marriages encourage partners to become better people—healthier and happier, too.

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Wow, that's a mouthful!

Enjoy a few laughs. And maybe a tear too:

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 years olds: "What does love mean?" (Source unknown.)

Here are some answers:

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt."

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."

And last, a very poignant one:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her, even when his hands got arthritis too."