We were discussing what we can learn from celebrity marriages earlier. We discussed some power couples that broke up and some that stayed together. Why a couple works or doesn’t is a complex issue that can not always be defined by fault or by pointing blame in one direction or another.
More often s not, marriages do not work because there is blame on both sides. So what else can we learn from celebrity marriages?
Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Maria Shriver
Politics and glamour are part of life, but they do not have to be the bedrock of a marriage. A couple can share different beliefs and still make their marriage a success when they have love, commitment and investment in each other. Being willing to show support for your spouse does not mean discounting your own beliefs.
Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy
Passion, love and friendship are the bedrock of a marriage. When a couple remembers to laugh together, love together and form bonds beyond that of just saying ‘I do’ they can make their marriage last until death do them part. A couple can disagree, they can fight and they can even yell at each other, as long as they never lose their respect for one another.
Julia Roberts & Various Partners
Passion in the moment is no replacement for a deep and abiding friendship and respect. Partners who compete, who compare and who exist in the moment do not make good life partners. Commitment is a desirable quality, but love will not exist in a vacuum. You cannot make every person you meet ‘the one’ that you will be with for the rest of your life. That happens when it happens, you can’t force it.
Courtney Cox & David Arquette
Love and commitment are a by-product of friendship and respect. It happens most often when you are not expecting it. You may fall in love. But sustaining love and sustaining marriage takes a true partnership of give and take, mutual respect and mutual encouragement. When you and your spouse are each other’s greatest supporters, you have a good foundation for the future.
To Be Continued