Ties That Unite

I've read books that portray Abraham Lincoln's home life as draining and burdensome, as if his marriage were a contract with an asylum. And I'm reading another that suggests a two-way street. Granted that 19th century America had a much lower rate of divorce than today, one still wonders what did hold the marriage together? One section describes the things they had in common with each other. Each had ambition for Abraham's career. They shared the same political views. They were well-read. They loved children. Those were the bonds too strong to be broken by the numerous places of difference.

I'm guessing that the history books would look back more kindly on Dena and my marriage. What would they say?

- We have faith in a loving and generous God
- We support each other almost unconditionally in our career adventures
- We exercise, and watch what we eat (sometimes regretfully)
- We love a good sports movie, and enjoy taking in the occasional ball game
- We're fans of clean and romantic comedies
- We're sticklers for the finer points of good writing
- We're content with Midwest living
- We're curious about history
- We believe in quality more than price
- We believe in marriage enrichment seminars
- We prefer quiet times at restaurants and avoid the rush
- We're up for a good double date

And the list stretches well beyond that! Plenty for the history book to have a sequel.