How do I know if this is the man I should marry?
How do I choose so that my marriage lasts?
We celebrated our 29th anniversary on Sept. 7. If you asked me for the secret to our success, I’d say “Marry a friend.”
My faith was causing a lot of tension at home and I was thinking through my alternatives. I happened to mention it to someone I worked with. She took me over to where Glenn was, introduced him to me and told me to talk to him about it. Now, if you had known me then, you would know that that was the last thing in the world that I would do. Trust had no place in my vocabulary. But there was something about his eyes – I knew instantly that I was safe. The friendship that began that day led to marriage about a year later and I can still talk to him about anything.
Don’t choose someone because of romance or sexual attraction. They aren’t a foundation for anything – they’re decoration. When you think about life, it includes happiness, sadness and just plain grunting work. The firm foundation of friendship weathers them all. Decoration optional – but fun!
The actor, Mickey Rooney, married eight times. That eighth marriage has lasted since 1978. Why did this one last? Here is what he said: “Don’t marry anybody you love; that’s the secret of a happy marriage. Marry somebody you like. Love is sex, love is drunkenness, but it never lasts. But when you marry your best friend, love grows.”
Amen!