When I think of a marathon marriage, I think of a marriage that has lasted 70+ years. Those are the cream of the crop marriages; those marriages have weathered storms that would wipe most couples off the map. What makes a marathon marriage is a couple that honors the vows they made to God, and each other. There aren't too many marriages that last 70+ years, and there aren't supposed to be. It's awesome that some couples are married for 50 years, 60 years even. It's another ball game when you remain married to the same person for 70+ years. Just like the top 1% of income earners control over 90% of current affairs, marathon marrieds are in a class of their own. Herbert & Zelmyra Fisher went down in history as holding the record for longest married couple. They were married for 86 years before Mr. Fisher passed in February at 104. He is survived by his wife Zelmyra, who is 101. I look at couples who have been married for 70+ years, and think of their undying committment to each other. No matter how much they pissed each other off, they handled that and got back on good terms. They didn't let small matters screw up their committment to each other. There are going to be more than enough rough patches in a couple who's been married for 70+ years, I know. What matters is the level of committment. I think when a person decides on marriage, they have to be able to overlook small stuff. They must accept that their partner will say & do things to piss them off (and vice versa), but if it can be worked through, by all means go for it. A lot goes into a marathon marriage. You can't marry anybody and expect to be married for 70 years, not unless you've done due diligence on that (wo)man. People show you their true colors over time, but they always show you their good side in the early relationship stages. Nobody wants to run off a great catch. For me, I would rather a woman be straight with me about her character. Tell me what your flaws are, and I'll decide if I can work with them. Everyone has the potential for a marathon marriage, but that requires discipline, committment, and compromise. Sadly, some people will never have a marathon marriage because they are too prideful to let the small stuff go. Look at the couples who have been married for 70 years or more...Only God can keep a marriage together for that length of time. You can't do that on your own.
