With the 50% divorce rate, it appears as though many people are only curious about marriage, not taking it too seriously. However, to tolerate a bad marriage, while believing that is the serious responsible thing to do, is not very conducive to individual and collective happiness. Remember, a grumpy person at home means a grumpy person at work or in the grocery store. So, how do we seriously feel happy, especially in a marriage?

Happiness correlates to similar interests, but this doesn’t mean couples have to have the same interests. I have very little interest in sports, whereas, my husband, Doug can listen to a sports game for hours. We do, however, have the same interest in fair play and achieving goals, two qualities that stretch beyond sports. The result of this identical spiritual interest is that Doug keeps his sports watching to a minimum and I can actually appreciate sports enough to cover a sports story for the newspaper as a freelance writer.

From 21^st Century Science and Health, “Mutual compromises will often preserve an arrangement which might otherwise become unbearable. It is not necessary for both spouses to participate in every annoyance and care of household duties. Responsibilities, inside and outside the home, can be performed with appreciation for one another. Fulfilling the different demands of their united spheres, compassion can blend in sweet confidence and joy, each partner sustaining the other. This love honors the bond of interests and affections, in which the heart finds peace and home.”