I swear, marriage is give and take. Marriage is compromise. Marriage has its ups and downs. I learn more about it all the time. If people treat marriage like a relationship then yeah---when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. I don't look at marriage that way. Nobody is perfect, and I believe that marriages go through stages where you get along better or worse. However, as long as you love each other and keep that in focus, I truly believe that everything will be okay in the long run.
Marriage is like an investment in fact. When I was doing my 401-K stuff yesterday at work, I was reminded of that whole high risk vs low risk depending on how many years that you have until retirement. Marriage is like that....and it's a high risk, agressive stock. There's a potential for big losses and big gains, but, over time, it's uphill, baby.
(excerpt from a discussion with a friend)