Most brides look forward to their wedding day through rose-colored glasses while dreaming of a happy future with Mr. Wonderful. But sooner or later, dreaming gives way to the reality that happiness doesn’t automatically happen.
At the time we marry we may not consciously think, Now I will be happy because the one I love not only loves me but is committed to me. Yet the underlying idea usually is there. Of course this only sets us up for disappointment; no human being has the power to guarantee another’s happiness.
Each partner brings into the relationship his or her own expectations for marriage. Each one also brings emotional and cultural “baggage” from the past that affects how he or she contributes to the relationship.