After seven years of marriage, it can be said that Judy Anne Santos and husband Ryan Agoncillo are one of the most stable couples in showbiz today.
But how do they do it? Here are some of Juday’s thoughts on making a marriage last based on first-hand experience:
Constant work
All married couples know this for a fact — marriage is not all play. It takes constant work and dedication, and Juday has learned this.
For her, couples need to work on their time together and friendship, on holding on and resolving issues, and on staying attractive.
“I think when you’re married, it’s a constant work [in] progress,” she said.
Humor and dating
“…importante rin na nag-e-enjoy kayo, napagtatawanan niyo ang isa’t isa,” she said in an article by Rose Garcia on PEP.ph. Details of Garcia’s article are as follows.
(“It’s important to enjoy, to be able to laugh at each other.”)
True enough, here’s the couple utterly enjoying…. a workout?!
Going out on dates, and staying friends is also crucial, she added.
“Nagagawa niyo pa rin na nagdi-date kayo (you’re still able to go out on dates), you talk to each other as friends, as husband and wife, as parents,” the actress also said.
Click next for more marriage advice from Juday
Keeping communication lines open
Juday also shared how they have learned to listen to each other’s criticisms, and to keep communication open.
For Juday, bigger problems arise when couples fail to communicate and resolve issues through dialogue.
“Siguro, along the way, may mga bagay na hindi napag-uusapan ng mag-asawa, kapag pinalipas niyo, lumalaki.
(“Perhaps, along the way, there are things that couples don’t talk about that when left unresolved, become bigger.”)
“Natatakpan ng ibang bagay hanggang sa bumigat na nang bumigat hanggang sa may isa ng lumet go.”
(“Issues pile up until things get too heavy and one lets go.”)
Hold on but be ready for the worst
Although Juday and Ryan’s relationship has stood the test of time, Juday says she still cannot predict what the future holds for them.
When asked about the possibility of one of them letting go, Juday admitted she doesn’t know.
“Hindi ko masasabi, hindi ko talaga mapi-predict,” she confessed.
People react differently to different situations, Juday explained, adding that one can never really know how one will react in a given situation until one is actually in that particular situation.
“Iba-iba ang sitwasyon, iba-iba ang dating ng mga tao sa bugso ng damdamin.”
(“There are different situations, and different emotions for different people.”)
Communication, Juday stressed, is therefore, crucial in keeping couples from giving up.
According to Juday, once someone lets go, it’s going to be hard to repair what was broken.
“Once someone lets go, that’s it. It’s going to be hard,” she said in the vernacular.
Click next for Juday’s thoughts on staying attractive, and Ryan’s confession on their sex life
Staying attractive
But aside from communication and friendship, Juday also believes staying attractive for each other is equally important.
“I think importante yun. Kapag nawala yun, maalarma ka na. (I think [attraction] is important. When that’s gone, be alarmed.) You should do something about it,” Juday shared.
“In the first place, you married your husband because of physical attraction. Kung walang physical attraction, magdo-domino effect na yun to emotion, lahat (The loss of physical attraction will have a domino effect on emotion, on everything),” she also said.
And, judging by Ryan’s comment recently, it looks like these two are still doing well in this department.
Having another baby, Ryan said, depends on his wife, who is still “under renovation” after giving birth to their youngest child just a few months ago.
But as for what goes on in the privacy of their bedroom, Ryan had this to say:
Read: 9 Compliments husbands secretly love to hear from their wives
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below or check out theAsianparent Community for even more insightful parenting news and tips. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!