Has anyone here ended up Happy Ever After??

[TwoNoisyBoys]

Just that really. I understand by the nature of this board, that it's going to feature problems in relationships, but having been a bit up and down myself lately, I wonder if anyone really is happy, hopefully for ever after? I don't think I know one genuinely happy couple :(
(Sorry for the gloomy tone....just feeling a bit gloomy tonight and would love to hear some positive stories)

Joint

I'm encouraged by these, especially the stories where it HASN'T been all rosy and you've survived bad patches. I'm having a bit of one at the moment and it's nice to hear others have overcome difficulties and managed to not only stay together but be really happy together. Thank you all.

I read somewhere, can't remember who wrote it, that the secret to a (their) happy marriage was that neither of them ever wanted to divorce at the same time .

There was a time early on when I would have thrown in the towel tbh, moved to a new continent together, big job pressures, two house moves in 18 months, terminally ill FIL, etc., etc.. We sort of lost sight of what mattered for a bit.

Maintaining a healthy relationship takes effort on both parts. Odds are that it isn't going to be easy all of the time.

If i daw this post 2 years ago,,id say yes! Wonderful DH, great sex life, brautiful kids. Today, im questioning my future. We've been together for 14 years, married 10. Met when i was a teenager. Have 3 kids now. Things have slowly been getting worse, but based on people's replies here, im hopeful that it will turn out to be a happily ever after.

I'm the same SuperBee.....in fact if I'd seen this even a month ago I would've said I was one of the happy ever afters! Hope things improve for you soon.

Thank you TwoNoisyBoys, i hope the same for you! I will say thou that if it's been only a month since ur struggle began, than there is definitely hope!

I really hope you're right, SuperBee. Thank you for your kind words

met my dh and got engaged within 3 weeks and married 5 months later. there's an 18 year age gap and we celebrate 25 years this year. still best friends and happy. as the child of 2 alcoholics I had a very unhappy childhood so feel very fortunate to be happy as an adult.

Been with my DH two years, married two months ago. Had two horrific relationships in quick succesion prior to him and thought I'd never be happy again. I adore him and he is my best friend, couldn't be without him even if we bicker/banter, he is wonderful and I'm truly lucky and blessed to have him. Hopefully in twenty years I can still say the same thing.

I've been married 29 years this year and survived. DH can be an awkward sod at times and we've had our big ups and downs in our marriage but we are still together. It's not been perfect but what marriage is? I'm realistic. I'd miss the old sod if he wasn't around! Next year we are off on a holiday of a lifetime to celebrate 30 years, can't wait!

Yes, been together nearly 25 years, married 15. We've had our ups and downs but mainly because of dealing with external stuff (redundancy, illness etc) rather than with each other IYSWIM. We still make each other laugh, enjoy spending time with each other, buy each other little presents "just because"...I don't know what I'd do without him.

I don't think I've been in my current relationship long enough to say it's 'happy ever after', but in the years we've been together, we've never had a stand-up row and any disagreements we have had have been dealt with by talking it through with mutual respect and the mutual goal of wanting to work it out in a way that makes us both happy. The sex is great and I'd say our relationship is characterised by little acts of thoughtfulness towards each other. Taking each other for granted is the death knell of any relationship IMO.

My parents were happily married for 30 years and were separated only be death. As a teen i used to feel embarrassed by the fact they would still hold hands walking down the road. My GPS, 50 years together, were also very happy.

It does happen. IME those that last that long are the ones where a quiet respect and consideration for the other are what really shines through, rather than a publicly obvious sexual attraction (though that can be there in addition to).

Yes. Been together for 31 years. We met at a wedding having been placed together by respective friends. I can't imagine why since we were chalk and cheese. As others have said we have weathered many a storm e.g. the death of my brother at 32, redundancies, my breast cancer etc etc.
We are currently apart because I am looking after my ill father. He misses me because I snore like a mixture of 'a hibernating bear and a walrus'.
Love him!

I am "happy ever after" because I am now on my own, albeit with 3 children.
I know I will never have another relationship and I am both resigned and looking forward to growing old alone.
I am an only child and I've always been alone. Apart from 13 years with ExH . I think I'm just not cut out to share my life so am happy as I am.

Harriet I'm glad you posted. There are different kinds of 'happy ever after' and like you I'm single. I have no desire for a partner because I've spent the last few years as a divorced woman putting myself back together and now I'm a completely different woman to the one I was with exDH.

It's really heart-warming to read about others who have found their happy ever after whatever that looks like.

Yes, been married a year but friends for over 20 yrs, I love him and our two dcs more than anything. Great love life, don't argue.

I think my life is perfect.

Yes. DH and I are perfectly matched. Never argue, at most have occasional unpleasant discussion, but always resolved same day. I think it works because we both have lots to occupy us outside the home with work and friends so are never bored, have lots to talk about, and enjoy the time we have together. I still get excited to see him every day and he makes me laugh. I know I am extremely fortunate and remind him I love him all the time. We never take each other for granted. I can't wait for the kids to be a little more grown up so we can have some more couple time.

I think most long relationships have patches where you are less connected or are getting on less well. When we first met we had a tricky year of dating and then split. We didn't keep in touch but accidentally bumped into each other (literally) in the street (We lived in different parts of London), and then started talking and after another year we got back together, he moved in about 6 months after that and we've been together now for 20 years and married for nearly 12. We bickered a lot when we had a baby and a toddler, I was too tired to be civil! But now that they are 8 and 10 and we aren't so sleep deprived we very rarely quarrel and we are best friends as well as husband and wife. He is kind and funny, clever and interesting, and we are really happy together.

Yes. This year's quite special for dp and i as we've been together 18 years-half of our lives. He's my best friend and definitely the best person I've ever met. We're expecting our second baby any day now (today ...please!) and have an 18 month old ds. We've decided that we very much have to Stick Together now we're going to have two under two.
We're not married and if people ask why not we often say that we're just going to live happily ever after instead.

God that's sickening isn't it. I was actually just a bit sick at the sickliness of my post!

I have been married for 38 years, this is my second marriage. My first marriage was to a very selfish emotionally cruel man (fortunately we had no DCs)
I would say there was more strong affection than overwhelming passionate love when I married DH but he was kind, good and loving. we love each other very deeply now and people (usually other female friends) tell me how lucky I am to have picked such a good'un!

the secret to their happy marriage was that neither of them ever wanted to divorce at the same time

That is brilliant!

Probably true as well.