But they forget to tell you the price you have to pay for that happy ending. Without more wood, the fire dies. It's pretty exciting to keep the fire going for the first few years when there aren't so many distractions. However, the tricky part often comes twenty or thirty years down the road. Dad has heavy church responsibilities and a highly demanding job that takes him out of town for days or weeks at a time.
Mom is a full-time taxi and consultant for the children and all their activities.
It all happens so gradually that one day parents can wake up to the fact that they have slowly drifted down different roads, until they now have almost nothing in common. Recognize that you need to start actively putting more wood on the fire. To make marriage last, put it first. One day soon all the children, the church callings, and even the prestigious job will be gone. It will just be the two of you again-like it was in the beginning.