Marriages are not all wedded bliss and fantasy.
Marriage is reciprocity, compromise and mutual support.
Add a few children such as his, hers, and ours, and you have more reciprocity and compromise than bliss and fantasy. People who think that any marriage is composed of bliss and excitement are headed for disappointment. Those marriages and relationships only exist in romance novels, movies or television, wild promises on the internet, and personal ads. In real life, marriage is about reciprocity and power. In a second marriage with children, it is also about being united as a couple, but we will leave that subject to another time.