That sacrament is spiritual, but it's also practical. It's about picking the car up, getting out of bed to hold a teething toddler and living in a smaller house so that somebody can stay home with the kids. Those gritty details are not what most couples think about when they're lighting the unity candle on their wedding day. Still, the reality of marriage is part of the reward. Throughout the marriage there's crisis coping.
Successful couples say every day is a struggle and a compromise.
Dr. Charlie and Mary Fleener agree. It's a constant effort. Marriage is not something you can put in the closet and forget. It is only through communication, commitment and compromise that you make a marriage work. The Fleeners were married in 1967 and literally have spent their entire married lives in and around the University.