I'll go first. Hey, I'm Michael, and I'm from Birmingham, Alabama. For fun, my wife and I enjoy trips to the beach and the mountains. Here is a pic of us in Santorini, Greece.

Is life fair? NO! Fairness has two sides: what you owe and deserve. Owing and Deserving are Obligation, and Entitlement. We live in an entitled society, where the message is constantly, what you deserve. If you "deserve" or are "entitled" to something from someone, don't they "owe" or are they "obligated" to you because this is the other side of the equation? YES! The visceral reaction most people have when they encounter entitlement in another person is to recoil or resist, distance themselves, or pull away because this is the inherent obligation reaction to another's entitlement. A few steps down the road is "will-conflict", the most destructive element in all relationships.

"No Two People Are Ever in the Same Relationship." I love this quote because it reminds me not to presume that another person experiences what I experience in any relationship because they are a different person. The other day I asked my wife what it was like to feel loved by me. She said, it's like being covered up with a warm blanket. Very nice. Ask your partner the same question. Because your partner will express themselves differently from how you feel and what you experience in your relationship with them.

I have practiced marriage and family therapy for over 40 years and know relationships like the back of my hand.