“Nah nah honey, I’m good
I could have another but I probably should not.
I got somebody at home,
And if I stay I might not leave alone.
No, honey, I’m good…
…To another I will stay true.”
Today at RELATE, we’re excited about the positive message Andy Grammer’s hit song, “Honey, I’m Good” has sent the world about relationships in the midst of all the negative relationship messages we usually get from today’s media. It’s refreshing to hear a down-to-earth married man talk about the fact that real temptations still happen after marriage, but that it simply comes down to the fact that the decision to “stay true” to his wife is worth it. For some reason, our society seems to glamourize divorce, breakups, infidelity, and other relationship troubles, and the joy that commitment brings often gets completely looked over.
But the truth is that as human beings who are wired for connection and desperately need to feel safe and secure in our relationships, commitment to and from our partners creates a secure foundation for us to build happy and joyful lives together! Wouldn’t it be great if more mainstream movies and music glorified couples who worked at their relationship and navigated the tough waters of this world together instead of falling apart and proclaiming that they’re “happier single” anyway? We think it would especially help millennials, who struggle with FOMO (fear of missing out) more than any other generation, if couples who stayed together were glorified rather than couples who cheated on each other or ended up divorcing being praised in our media for “not settling”.
Of course, this isn’t a completely black and white or mind over matter issue. There are always legitimate reasons for divorce (abuse, ongoing addictions or affairs, etc.), but as Andy Grammer’s song points out, we need to be able to set boundaries for our relationships and establish what our partners are comfortable with so that we can be on the same page together as far as fidelity goes. Have you and your partner talked about what your boundaries are for emotional, physical, and intellectual relationships with members of the opposite sex? For each couple this may look different, but in the spirit of Andy Grammer’s commitment anthem, have the conversation, and make the decision today to “stay true” to your partner today!
