It got me to thinking about my own marriage - with all its attendant ups and downs. It occured to me as I reflected that if I were to isolate the 'secret' to our marriage's relative success, I'd have to say it is the focussing on of one anothers' best qualities. This is not to say, most emphatically, that the JoyBoy and I aren't absolutely pock-marked with unpleasantness, for we are. Most notably. However, I always find I'm most happy within my marriage when I look (and then continue to look) at JoyBoy's beautiful qualities. And there are countless, I might add. Conversely, I'm never more unhappy living life alongside him than when I'm looking at his failings and dwelling there, in that looking. I'm a wiser woman when I laugh at his ceaseless loving teasings than when I wonder why it is he doesn't tidy our yard more regularly. It's more fun to think of his constant (and by that, I do mean constant) good nature than to feel ticked that he's left his clothes all about (again). There's so much about him to respect and love and admire. Why would I rain on our shared parade by looking at his relatively few failings?