This post is a continuation of my Wedding Day Countdown – 10 things I want you to know before your wedding day.  ( Original Post – http://wp.me/p2Uy1y-wv )

Day 3 – Mind your manners.

I’m always amused when I watch some of the sitcoms today, especially those that depict marriage and family life. It doesn’t seem to matter how important a job the man has, he always seems to be the last to know anything happening in his home and he’s a complete moron when it comes to anything that comes out of his mouth. The same can be true of the wife, one minute she’s a ditz, the next a raving lunatic and we can’t forget the children who look at both parents as dopes and in turn disrespects them. It’s no wonder that our messages get screwed up. Be careful what you fill your entertainment time with. Before you know it, shows like this can be what forms your minds. Before you know it, that special person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with isn’t around anymore – they’ve been replaced by an image of someone you’ve created from these media accounts. Next, you begin to see through their eyes, speak through their mouths, and have the same dysfunctional marriage that is being depicted on television.

Remember your manners. Never take for granted the simple words you learned as children -please, thank you, how can I help you, and it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a few – I’m lucky to have you, I’m proud of you, and an I really respect what you are doing. I remember a story I once heard from a friend about his brother-in-law. He said that his brother-in-law would always thank his wife (my friend’s sister) after she prepared a meal, and taught their children to do the same. What a simple gesture of love and respect for her care.

“Chivalry in love has nothing to do with the sweetness of the appearance. It has everything to do with the tenderness of a heart determined to serve. You must not act under the impetus of charm, but out of a commitment to make someone’s life the joy you want it to be.” ~ Ravi Zacharias

You don’t need money to be romantic, you need to give 100% to one another. Spend time walking and talking or taking a ride in the car. Just be present to one another. Never, ever give up dating! Surprise one another often. One of the cutest dates with your dad was when he took me to the parking lot of a grocery store and we had ice cream sandwiches.

I guess what I want you to know is to fall in love with each other each and every day. Form habits of manners right from the start so that your marriage never takes those simple, little things for granted.

Father, this marriage is yours. Help this couple to never take each other for granted and renew in them, every day, a heart of gratitude for one another. May their relationship with one another reflect great love by the way they treat each other. Encourage them to invest in one another, to surprise one another, and to grow with one another. Amen.

The greatest and lasting love stories are the ones worth waiting for.