The hustle and bustle of our every day lives doesn't always leave a lot of quality time for the people that we love. With the winter holidays right around the corner - I have begun to wonder, do the holidays really bring us closer together with our loved ones?

Do you find yourself slowing down dramatically and spending more time with your loved ones during the holidays? Is it a time that you commit to reconnecting with your friends, family and loved ones?

Do you see a difference in the way that we communicate with each other during the holiday season? Are we more understanding, nurturing and forgiving? Are you more willing to work on your relationships during this special time of year?

Do the holidays effect your relationships?

Please leave your comments below!

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Do you think that we take the American dream of the perfect married couple, with the perfect children, the perfect careers, the perfect dog, the perfect cars and the perfect house with the perfect white picket fence too far?

To what extent does our enduring belief in "happily every after" create unrealistic expectations in our relationships? To what extent does our quest for perfection create love relationships that are far from perfect? To what extent does it set the bar to impossible heights?

What are your thoughts?

Please leave your comments below!

It used to be that people didn't get a divorce because of the children involved. However, during these hard economic times, people are staying together simply because they can’t afford to get a divorce. That makes for any unhappy couples that are staying together because a divorce isn’t in the budget.

Economic uncertainty, paired with shaky or unhappy marriages can add a lot of undesired stress on a family. Previously many couples would finance their divorce by selling the couple’s joint home, now the couples largest asset has a larger mortgage on it then what it is actually worth. These unhappy couples also have a hard time getting a credit card or personal loan to pay for an attorney since the lending market has tightened their belts and aren’t giving out as many loans as before. And moving out into an apartment or another home can also be unattainable since a lot of couples can barely afford the cost of maintaining just one residence. It seems as though divorice is now a luxury that many people just may not be able to finanically afford.

What is a couple who is stuck in an unhappy marriage to do?

Do you stay together simply because you can’t afford to divorce?

Or, would you rather go bankrupt than stay in an unhappy marriage?

How do you think these decisions effect children involved? Is it better to have a 2 parent household that is miserable? Or are children whose parents are divorced live happier lives?

On the other hand, do you think that since getting a divorce is now harder to do, this may cause people to really consider marriage before actually doing it? Will it encourage people to try to make their marriage work, rather than calling it quits overnight?

Please join the conversation and leave your comment below!

photo via hsff