When I was in college I met a cute girl who made me laugh. She was incredibly smart and often obnoxious. And although she won’t publicly admit it, she has a big heart. My plan was to wait until later to get married. However, it was obvious I found the right person. Next month, Carol and I will celebrate thirty three years together.
Like any marriage, it hasn’t always been easy and twice we have been on the brink of divorce. Fortunately, we ultimately realized no one else wanted us—so we gritted our teeth and worked it out.
The challenge of marriage requires tremendous patience and lots of give and take— especially for two stubborn people like us. Marriage is never 50/50. Most days it is 90/10 but you never know who is on each side of that math equation. Probably the best advice I ever received is that your job in a marriage is to look out for your partner and expect nothing in return. If both of you have this mindset, you increase your odds of a quality partnership.
