In order to keep your marriage intact it is important that you never lose sight of your friendship. Friendship is what begins any relationship, and that same friendship will carry you and your spouse to your golden years. Friendship, is the key to happiness. With friendship there are apologies when necessary, and you make time for one another. You respect and value one another's opinions, and you grow together vs. apart.

Communication is essential to any friendship, relationship, and marriage. It is important that you not withhold information, and strive to be honest and forthcoming in all situations. When trust is broken it is extremely difficult to restore. It is the foundation of love and friendship. No matter how hard the truth can be to tell at times, it will always come out eventually. Couples that are high risk for adultery should share everything, all the way down to Internet passwords and cellular phone directories. It isn't to be controlling, it is just a preventative measure.

Being patient with one another is very important, and defines unconditional love. Two people in a relationship experience the same things, but have different perceptions. They grow and change at different rates. Sometimes with these changes come mistakes, pain, and even heartache. You must choose to be patient, and continue loving despite flaws. Everyone has flaws.

Forgiveness is a choice, and required in any long term relationship such as marriage. In some marriages where things such as adultery have occurred, forgiveness is a daily choice by the one who has been betrayed. It is just as beneficial for the one who has been wronged to forgive as it is the one who has done wrong to be truly sorry. It takes much strength to forgive, but it gives much strength as well.

To maintain a marriage it is also important that a couple have a common goal. Often times after the goals of a career, house, and children have been accomplished people become stagnant. If you want your marriage to survive, step it up a notch. Join a club together, take dance classes, or patent that million dollar idea. There must always be something, that you are working on together as a couple. It will give you both a sense of togetherness, and also aid in maintaining your lifelong friendship.

Lastly, pray. Prayer is needed in any marriage. Prayer for the right words to speak, for those words to be heard, and prayer to survive as a couple. Marriage is a lot of work, but the rewards are great. Often people give up too soon, before the relationship reached its potential. By the two of you following these steps mentioned, you will likely be married for many years to come.