Once a professional photographer went to dinner at the house of good friends. Over hors d'oeuvres he showed them some of his latest images of wildlife and waterfalls. 

"These photographs are gorgeous. You must have an incredible camera!" the wife commented. He furrowed his eyebrows. 

After the four course dinner they pushed back their plates and kept talking. 

"That was delicious. You must have a terrific stove." He winked. 

There are people whose marriages may seem beautiful because of their circumstances. Perhaps they have no financial worries, or health problems. Maybe they are both easy going by nature and it might look as if they were blessed with the ingredients for a good result. Then again, maybe success was not handed to them. 

When I think of some of the marriages that I have great respect for, I include friends who have dealt with alcoholism, drug addiction, bankruptcy, chronic pain, loss of a child, mental instability and joblessness. They had plenty of material for conflict. 

Yet they did not let those struggles rob them of their free choice.