Asked to read a passage related to marriage at an upcoming wedding ceremony, Charlie Bloom set out to come up with the right piece. “I found lots of great quotes, poems, and stories, any of which probably would have worked fine. The problem was that none of them fully expressed what I wanted to say. They all spoke about aspects of a marriage — devotion, commitment, the benefits, the joys, the challenges…Linda encouraged me to stop seeking other people’s words and instead come up with my own. So I began listing some of the things I wished I had known when I got married. I came up with fifty one-liners but for time’s sake, I cut it down to twenty-five. The ceremony was beautiful, and I got to share all of my insights. The nods, winks, chuckles, and elbow pokes of the congregation punctuated my delivery,” explains co author, Charlie Bloom. On the drive home Linda and Charlie came up with more one liners. By the time they got home they had eighty. Two weeks later, they had over a hundred. “I guess that says something about how much we didn’t know when we got married,” he added. From that ceremony, 101 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married was born.
With the current divorce rate spiking at a dizzying sixty percent, it is clear that young couples are not being taught the skills needed to navigate through the conflicts and difficulties of being in a committed relationship. As psychotherapists with years of experience in relationship counseling, the Bloom’s are acutely aware of this and they’ve helped thousands of couples improve their most cherished relationships.
Each lesson is presented as a simple, one-line thought followed by an explanation using real life examples, from Charlie and Linda’s personal experiences and the experiences of other couples. Sharing a wealth of experience with their readers, they demonstrate the universality of relationship issues and how anyone can find ways out of the pain that can engulf and ultimately destroy a relationship. By acknow-ledging and working through these ordeals, couples give themselves and each other hands on tools to enrich their relationships. Regardless of past experience, anyone can develop the basic strengths, skills and capacities needed for a strong relationship.
Praise for 101 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married
“At last, a relationship book that dishes out more than advice. I wish I had read these teaching stories before I got married. Linda and Charlie have grown wise about love.”
— Connie Zweig, Ph.D., author of Romancing the Shadow and The Holy Longing
“The Blooms offer profound insight into the subtle pitfalls of human relationships. Their wisdom, clarity, and practical guidance about what it takes to develop rich, loving partnerships will be enormously helpful to couples and individuals. Their wealth of experience shines through every page — guiding us to create a sound and solid foundation for deep, delightful partnerships."
— John Amodeo, Ph.D., author of The Authentic Heart and Love and Betrayal
About the Authors Charlie and Linda Bloom are both psychotherapists with more than fifty-five years of combined experience in relationship counseling. Both have taught at various psychotherapy training facilities, including the Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, The California Institute for Integral Studies, The Institute for Transpersonal Psychology, JFK University, and University of California-Berkeley. In 1987 they founded the Empowerment Network, an organization offering seminars to individuals and couples on improving relationships. They currently offer fifty different workshops on various relationship issues and their work has improved the lives of thousands of people around the world. In spite of their professional success, Charlie and Linda both agree that their greatest achievement has been a fulfilling marriage of thirty-one years. The Blooms live in Northern California and their website is www.bloomwork.com
101 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I GOT MARRIED: Simple Lessons for Lasting Love By: Linda and Charlie Bloom
Publication Date: February 14, 2004
ISBN: 1-57731-424-7
Price: $14.95, Trade Paper
Pages: 256, 5.5" x 8.5"
Distributed by Publishers Group West
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