What it Takes to Make Marriage Work

Marriage seems to be taken more and more lightly these days. With the divorce rate on a steady climb, one must wonder what is happening to these once-upon-a-time happy couples. The problem seems to lie in the fact that people get swept up in the romance and this sometimes leads to quick marriages. Entering into a marriage without really knowing the person, or what it takes to make a marriage work, is dangerous territory.

The first thing needed in a marriage is of course, love. As sappy as it may sound, you truly need to know that you love the person you are going to marry – enough to accept the good and the bad that will come with them. No one is perfect and there will be flaws in the potential spouse but this is only natural. If one truly can’t find any flaws with the person they are want to marry, this is not a healthy basis for marriage and disappointment is bound to ensue. Thinking the person is perfect is a sign of infatuation and is a far cry from love.

The second integral stone in the foundation of any marriage is trust. If one person is mistrusting, or untrustworthy, the marriage is surely headed for disaster. The relationship will constantly be filled with questions and doubts. Trust begins with honesty so being open with each other is essential.

Another important ingredient for a happy marriage is respect. Hopefully, this comes with love but it doesn’t always work that way. Respecting each other plays a huge role with how the couple treats each other in almost every single way. Nobody can be happy when somebody else is critical of their every word or move. Respect definitely needs to work both ways and if mutual respect is not there chances are, neither one will be happy. Being disrespectful is also a sign of unhappiness so it’s not just the person being disrespected that is unhappy.

Of course, there are more elements to a happy marriage than just the three listed above. These I believe, however, are the most important and are the key factors to making a marriage work.