Compatibility is the key

By Jeanne Melanson

The biggest secret to a happy marriage is to be compatible before the big day. Have the same values in life, the same goals in mind, and don't ever think you are going to change the spots on a leopard.

My husband and I both dated a large number of different people. We knew what we were looking for, and we never found a perfect match.

Then quite by accident, and only because he owned a car, we met on a blind date. I was totally amazed! I wanted a man of my religion, a non-drinker and a dancer, which he wasn't, but two out of three was not that bad.

I was never sure of his ideal woman, but I made him chase me. That was a different picture for him -- the ladies chased him!

There are three rules for a good marriage:

1. Laughter is the best medicine.

2. Those who pray together stay together.

3. Marriage is not for life, it is forever.

Fifty-six years and still smiling.