Article: This is the perfect opportunity to exercise the communication skills that are essential for any healthy relationship to last. For many people, important life goals come to fruition as a part of marriage. Though everyone changes their mind on issues throughout life, not everyone sees themselves in the same place down the road. Talk about kids, careers, money, and "deal breakers." Everything is a little less scary when said out loud, so let it out. You, your partner, and everyone on this earth are imperfect. There will be rocky periods in your life whether you're married or not. Periods of unhappiness or struggle are inevitable. Think about whether you will be more able to overcome unhappy moments with a life partner. Work on building a relationship with your partner that helps you handle sources of stress and angst. In doing so you also create a built-in defense mechanism in your marriage. In the west, successful marriages have typically depended on monogamy. Before you proceed with marriage, you need to establish that you will remain faithful to each other. It is an uncomfortable but necessary conversation, and it may even bring you closer together. Your plans will change, but in general, do you see yourself married? Although everyone's ideal time frames change throughout life, having an idea of what you want to achieve puts a positive spin on future planning. Not wanting your life to drastically change is OK, just make sure your partner has the same aspirations. Not everyone's culture allows this, but it has worked for many as a way to determine if they would live well with their partner. Use it as a way to explore each other's living habits before the vows. Make sure you approach this experiment with acceptance as a goal. They will have little quirks that you notice for the first time, but so do you — you just haven't perhaps identified them. If your parents are still married, they will almost certainly be able to tell you that they weren't always sure about the idea. They should also have tips for overcoming fear of marriage that they have realized over the years. It will also give you a real-life example of people for whom marriage has worked. Though it may feel uncomfortable to seek professional advice before there is a problem, it may help you come to terms with marriage. They will also be able to help you identify warning signs for future conflicts. Ask friends, family, or a doctor for a referral to a licensed marriage and family therapist, or search online. Your place of worship may also offer (or require) premarital counseling or courses.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Talk about your fears with your partner. Recognize life's imperfection. Talk with your partner about sexual exclusivity. Picture yourself in 10-20 years. Try living together. Talk to your parents. Consider pre-marriage counseling.
Article: Lay on your side (the opposite side of the arm that needs to be elevated) and position several pillows on the bed next to you – kind of like you are going to hug the pillows. Place your hand palm down on top of the pillows and try to remain in this position while you sleep. Make sure that you position the pillows in such a way that it won’t be easy for your hand to roll off or change positions while you are sleeping. Try to create a large enough elevated space for your hand to rest so that it will stay elevated even if you move around a bit. You can lie in bed on your back and prop your hand up, with the palm facing down, on pillows next to you. This will elevate your hand above your heart. Make sure that you position some pillows to keep your arm from moving if you toss and turn at night. This is a special kind of foam pillow designed specifically to help you elevate your hand/arm. Place your arm inside the hole facing upwards, with your elbow resting on the bottom support.  It may seem a bit awkward or uncomfortable at first, but this is quite effective at reducing swelling and keeping your arm elevated no matter how much you shift positions at night. This pillow requires you to sleep on your back. Keep that in mind in case you have difficulties sleeping on your back.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Prop your hand up with pillows next to you while side-sleeping. Elevate with pillows while sleeping on your back. Use an arm elevation pillow.
Article: Whorls are rows of branches that grow from the trunk at approximately the same height. Counting whorls is an option for conifers, or evergreen trees, but isn’t very useful for broadleaf trees, like oak or sycamore. This method isn't as accurate as counting the rings, but it's a way to estimate the tree's age without having to kill or injure it.  Conifers produce whorls annually at regular intervals. Deciduous, or broadleaf trees, produce them irregularly, making it difficult to get an accurate count. It’s also easiest to count the whorls of a young conifer. You might not be able to see the top of a tall, mature conifer, and there would be more irregularities in its growth patterns. At the base of the tree, look for a row of branches that grow at the same level, a bare length of trunk, then another row of branches. These rows are the whorls; count them until you’ve reached the top of the tree. You might see single branches growing between whorls or 2 whorls spaced closely together. These are irregularities that might indicate an injury or unusual weather conditions that year, so don’t count them. Check beneath the first row of branches for evidence of prior growth. Look for knots in the trunk and stubs where branches once grew, which you’ll count as additional whorls. For instance, suppose your tree has 8 recognizable whorls. Beneath the first row, you can see a few stubs that emerge from the trunk around the same level. There's also a row of 2 or 3 knots under the stubs. You’d count the stubs and knots as additional whorls, so your total count would be 10. The tree germinated and grew as a seedling for a few years before it started sprouting woody whorls. Add 2 to 4 to your whorl count to factor in this early growth. If your whorl count was 10, your final age estimate would be between 12 and 14 years.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Count whorls to estimate the age of a conifer. Count the rows of branches growing at the same height. Include any stubs or knots at the bottom of the trunk. Add 2 to 4 years to account for seedling growth.