Even the most successful marriages contain irreconcilable differences — those differences that cannot be resolved completely. Some differences can be deal-breakers if one or both partners can’t tolerate them. But when there is a foundation of love and respect, this situation is less likely to occur.

Only a small portion of the differences that most couples start out with are actually solvable. The presence of differences isn’t necessarily problematic; it’s when they become a conflict that there is trouble. When we appreciate the value of our differences, we begin to see them not as a threat but as an enhancement to our relationship.

An Interview with Leah and Jason

Leah:

Before Jason and I got married, I thought that couples became more harmonious over time. Boy, was I wrong! Not only did our different points of view not go away, they actually became inflamed. For a while, it really seemed like they would end our marriage.