The Importance of Love

Summary

The Dr. Laura Podcast — "The Importance of Love"
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: May 9, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of The Dr. Laura Podcast centers on the theme of love—its role in long, happy marriages, its importance for personal fulfillment, and the foundational role it plays in raising resilient, well-adjusted children. Dr. Laura shares her personal observations inspired by a radio segment featuring longtime married couples, reflects on societal changes in attitudes towards love and nurturing, and wraps with practical advice about instilling routines and structure for children—rooted in stable, loving family environments.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Wisdom of Long-Married Couples

[02:05 – 04:55]

• Dr. Laura recounts listening to "The 60s Channel" on Sirius XM, where male callers—each married 40+ years—called in to share affections for their wives.
• She notes a trend: every caller was a man, and they described their wives with terms like “supportive, sweet, loving, nurturing, caretaking.”
• Dr. Laura reflects on how these qualities, once typical, are often undervalued or discouraged in modern culture.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Laura [02:28]:
  “All the things girls are not brought up to do any more. Bitching and being dissatisfied is pretty much how girls are brought up today.”
• Male Caller (recounted by Dr. Laura) [03:28]:
  “When I got back from Vietnam, if it wasn’t for her, she just made my life be okay.”
• Dr. Laura [04:11]:
  “The last fellow I heard made me cry. I’m driving along sniveling. And he didn’t say anything horrendously profound. He just said, ‘It’s wonderful to have somebody to love.’ What do you think about that, all you married folk out there? It was wonderful to have somebody to love.”

---

Taking Love & Marriage for Granted

[07:15 – 08:26]

• Dr. Laura uses the metaphor of a “hothouse plant”—something people would carefully nurture and tend—to illustrate how spouses are often taken for granted in marriage.
• She points out that many invest more attention in trivialities, only to later blame their partners for life’s imperfections, rather than cherishing the opportunity to love someone.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Laura [07:19]:
  “If everybody married had a hothouse plant, they would be out there every day dusting it, spritzing it, giving the proper light... But wouldn’t think twice to bother to do that with a spouse. Take the spouse for granted and then be pissy that your life is not perfect and it’s probably his or her fault.”
• Dr. Laura [07:56]:
  “Instead of looking at marriage as an opportunity to have somebody to love, which makes life worth living.”

---

Micro-Discussion: Why Kids Need Routines

[08:26 – 11:04]

• Building on the main theme, Dr. Laura pivots to the importance of providing children with structure.
• She emphasizes that routines give children a “sense of safety and mastery,” equipping them to face life’s inevitable changes and challenges.
• Citing an article, she explains how unpredictable or disruptive changes (e.g., divorce, deaths, sudden moves) undermine children’s confidence and ability to cope.
• She argues that a loving, predictable home with clear routines is a crucial form of love, benefiting both children and families.

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Laura [08:42]:
  “Children handle everything better if they’re expecting it to happen, and it occurs in the context of family routine because a predictable routine allows children to feel safe and to develop a sense of being able to handle their lives.”
• Dr. Laura [09:44]:
  “Unpredictable changes... erode this sense of safety and mastery and leave the child feeling anxious and less able to cope with the vicissitudes of life.”
• Dr. Laura [10:38]:
  “We turn [kids] into snowflakes when we have no expectations, and no routines, and nothing they can feel safe and count on.”

---

Memorable Moments

• Dr. Laura’s emotional reaction to the caller’s heartfelt statement about love: “It was wonderful to have somebody to love.” [04:11]
• The “hothouse plant” analogy—one of Dr. Laura’s signature, practical images—drives home the message that love and marriage require everyday care and attention. [07:19]

---

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [00:00 – 01:58] – Sponsored announcements, Dr. Laura’s opening remarks, personal philosophies, and platform promotions (skipped in summary).
• [02:05 – 04:55] – Reflection on married male callers, their attitudes toward long marriages, and the changing societal perspective on love and nurture.
• [07:15 – 08:26] – The hothouse plant metaphor and critique of marital complacency.
• [08:26 – 11:04] – Why kids need routines: micro-discussion on child development, structure, and foundational family love.

---

Tone & Style

• Dr. Laura’s approach is candid, conversational, and at times provocative—intended to challenge listeners as much as to comfort and inform.

---

Key Takeaways

• Long, happy marriages are often sustained by everyday acts of care, mutual appreciation, and the conscious choice to cherish and “nurture” each other.
• In modern culture, traditional nurturing qualities may be undervalued but remain central to personal happiness and lasting relationships.
• A loving marriage isn’t just something you have—it’s something you actively care for, like a “hothouse plant.”
• Raising children in a predictable, loving, structured environment provides them the stability necessary to grow into resilient adults.

---

Share and Engage

Dr. Laura encourages listeners to share their thoughts, participate by calling in, and rate or recommend the show to others for continued learning on love, family, and real-life dilemmas. [11:04]

---

End of Summary

Transcript

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lilly if you listen to my program, you know I'm a firm believer in watching movies that tell stories that matter. So when I found a streaming service centered on that very idea, I had to tell you about it. Angel is a streaming platform built around values like courage, faith, family. They offer a strong range of options like Solo Mio with Kevin James, a fun choice for date night David beautifully animated musical that families can enjoy, and Cabrini, the riveting story of Mother Cabrini and the triumph she overcame in establishing

[Caller or Listener]

orphanages in New York.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Great story. What makes angel different is their members help decide what gets released. No gatekeepers, just people supporting the stories they want to see. Right now, angel is having a Mother's day sale with 40% off their premium membership. As an Angel Premium member, you can go ad free and even get two tickets to every upcoming release in theaters. Join angel today. Go to angel.com drlaura that's angel.com drlaura for 40% off Mother's Day sale thank you for listening to my morning monologue brought to you by Golden Crest Medals, helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios. Learn [e-mail] protest remember, you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM triumph and connect with me 24 [e-mail]

[Caller or Listener]

I'm listening to Sirius XM's the 60s channel.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And they were playing prom songs,

[Caller or Listener]

you know, like from the 50s and the early 60s. And in between that he was taking calls from people who wanted to talk about how long they had been married. It took me almost 20, 25 minutes to get there. Little traffic. Every caller was a male, number one. Every caller was a male. And the years married were all over 40 something. Every caller was a male, married over 40 something years and happy about it. And they all spoke about their women in terms I don't think men get to talk about much today. Supportive, sweet, loving, nurturing, caretaking. All the things girls are not brought up to do anymore. Bitching and being dissatisfied is pretty much how girls are brought up today. One fellow said when I got back from Vietnam, if it wasn't for her, she just made my life be okay. To listen to these men who got married, 60s, early 70s talk with such affection. And it was all men who called. I'm sure that wasn't for the whole duration of that program, but it was just the time that I heard and I was just so impressed. And the last fellow I heard it made me cry. I'm driving along sniveling. And he didn't say anything horrendously profound. He just said, it's wonderful to have somebody to love. What do you think about that, all you married folk out there? It was wonderful to have somebody to love.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lilly Life doesn't have to be so complicated. Walmart helps you simplify. They're your one stop shop for daily essentials like groceries, snacks, school supplies, and thanks to Walmart Pharmacy, you can count on them for your prescription needs, too. Use the Walmart app to easily manage your family's medications and save time by getting prescriptions delivered right to your door. Switch your prescriptions to Walmart Pharmacy Delivery not available. For all prescriptions and exclusions apply this episode of the Dr. Laura podcast is brought to you by Alloy Health. Use the promo code DRLAURA for $20 off your first order at myalloy.com Many marriages hit the rocks when a woman's hormones start getting out of whack. Brain fog, sleep issues, changes in hair, skin and sex drive are all connected to your hormones. Join the 95% of women who feel better in just two weeks. Go to myalloi.com, use the code DrLora today.

[Redfin Advertiser]

There's a difference between liking a house and actually getting it. Redfin is built to close that gap. Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents, so when you find a home you love, you're not a step behind when it's time to make an offer. That means less watching great homes disappear and and more zeroing in on the one you'll actually end up calling home. Redfin helps turn saved listings into real addresses. Get [e-mail] own the dream I wrote

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

a little song to remind you.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

Choice hotels get you more of the experiences you value.

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

The Cambria Hotel's got it all. A rooftop bar, have a ball, bring a date, your squad, or even your mom. Walk [e-mail].

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And I was thinking

[Caller or Listener]

if everybody married had a hothouse plant, they would be out there every day dusting it, spritzing it, giving the proper light that it required. But wouldn't think twice to bother to do that with a spouse. Take the spouse for granted and then be pissy that your life is not perfect and it's probably his or her fault. Instead of looking at marriage as an opportunity to have somebody to love, which makes life worth living. That was my opening subject. My opening subject was why Kids need routines, so I'm going to make that a 60 second micro discussion Children handle the change in their bodies, the change in how they grow and who they have to interact with. And finally school and kids and teachers and everything. Kids handle everything better if they're expecting it to happen, and it occurs in the context of family routine because a predictable routine allows children to feel safe and to develop a sense of being able to handle their lives. As they get better and better at feeling mastery, they can tackle larger changes. Walking to school by themselves, paying for a purchase in a store, going to a sleepaway camp. And then this article I read and I'm going to quote Unpredictable changes. Mom called away on an unexpected business trip, a best friend moving, parents divorcing, grandparents dying erode this sense of safety and mastery and leave the child feeling anxious and less able to cope with the vicissitudes of life. These things can't be avoided, but that's why we offer children a predictable routine as a foundation in their lives so they can hopefully rise to the occasion to handle the big changes when they happen. Structure and routines teach kids how to constructively control themselves and their environments. Kids who come from chaotic homes where belongings are never put away learn that life can run more smoothly if things are organized a little. In homes where there is no set time or space to do homework, kids never learn to sit down by themselves to accomplish an unpleasant task. Kids who don't develop basic self care routines from grooming to food, may find it hard to take care of themselves as adults and we turn them into snowflakes when we have no expectations and no routines and nothing they can feel safe and count on. I mean, you can look things up like this and read them on your own, but basically it's important to have somebody to love and it's important to give your kids a solid foundation based on that love, the consistency of which they can experience every day, and some kind of routine that gives them grounding. My number 1-800-375-2872.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

Sirius XM Triumphs Is life presenting you with challenges? Get real answers with Dr. Laurel. Call 1-800- Dr. Laura no nonsense advice

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

about relationships, marriage, kids, tough love.

[Caller or Listener]

It happened is not a phrase anybody uses when they take responsibility.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

Inspiration.

[Caller or Listener]

Every time you go to bed with a negative thought, you have to match it up with a positive.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

That's your new rule, Dr. Laura weekdays at 2pm east on Sirius XM Triumph 123 and on the SiriusXM app.

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

Breathe in. Feel the sense of calm that comes from having up to $300 in overdraft protection with Goto Bank. Now.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

Did you say $300?

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

Yes. Now back to our breathing.

[Caller or Listener]

So if I overspend my balance, go2bank has my back up to $300.

[Choice Hotels Advertiser]

Yes. Can we breathe out now? Less worries, more zen. With over $300 in overdraft protection, Tap to open an account today. Eligible direct deposits and opt in required for overdraft protection fees. Terms and conditions apply.

[Sirius XM Triumph Advertiser]

You wouldn't take financial advice from a 72 hours in a single day alpha influencer, would you? Same goes if you're in a car accident or any accident, who you choose matters. That's why Morgan and Morgan exists. They're the largest injury law firm in America and they've built a reputation by actually winning cases and not just talking about it. Over a thousand lawyers across all 50 states and $30 billion recovered injured. Go to forthepeople.com podcast. That's forthepeople.com podcast.