Turns out, marriage can't survive on love alone
MARQUETTE -- If it weren't for a double date gone wrong years ago, John and Yvonne Dorais wouldn't be playing four games of Cribbage together each day.
While at a party, John's friend wanted to switch dates.
"He said, 'I can't get anywhere with that girl.' I said, 'I don't mind, I'll take her,'" said John.
The rest is history. Last month, they celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary.
"I proposed to her right there in the living room in front of all my relatives, so she couldn't say no," he added.
With nearly half of all marriages in the U.S. ending in divorce, communication is key, experts said. And while opposites may attract, not for long, they said.
"Yes, we have our differences, but on the most fundamental things of who we are, what we believe, we're in consent with each other," said Colin Jenkins, Family Life Coordinator at the Diocese of Marquette.
Four things define a healthy marriage, he said: committment, respect, intimacy and forgiveness. On Facebook, Juanita Luoma agreed.
"If I walked out every time we had a fight, I could probably have circled the globe. So I guess my answer is forgive and forget," said Luoma.
And Vicki Hamari said, "Always say you're sorry and think before you speak!"
And much like a game of cribbage, a little luck and a little skill goes a long way.
"You have to work at it; you can't just think it's going to come automatically. You each have to give and take, yes dear?" John said.
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