The question I usually get from strangers who get surprised when I tell them that I hit 20 years with my wife in a few months is: What's your secret? I'm 38 years old and I met my wife at 19 and I knew she was the one. So what's my secret? That question had plagued me from the first day I got married and for apparently the next twenty years after T and I got hitched.
The question cannot be answered with a simple, "It takes communication" , "It takes trust" , or something cliche like "Love for one another." In reality, it takes all of it. sometimes the answer to the question depends on what happened that day, what happened that hour, or what happened five minutes ago. To me, it works because we keep no secrets from each other. The greatest advice I was given on my wedding day was "In order for a Marriage to work, you're spouse has to be your best friend. You have to tell each other everything down to the nitty-gritty." and he's right.
However, as the years goes by there are things you have to put up with as a couple which only strengthen your bonds. Annoying parents to kids friends. Awkward couple dates. Trying to make new couple friend, only to discover that they are miserable with one another or swingers... That is another blog post altogether.
Then there's the wonderful world of parenting that often becomes the clash of the titans when we disagree on a punishment. But there is one greatest key in making a marriage long and happy is SEX! Lots and lots and lots of sex! and I'm not talking some repetitive, mundane, predictable sex. You got to make love, have porn sex, spontaneous sex, public sex, SEX! Well, to me, I think that is one of the golden keys.