By Alisa Bowman

I wrote this post, in part, to celebrate my 12th wedding anniversary. I also wrote it as an answer to all of those people who comment, “Why does anyone bother to get married if it can get that bad?” whenever I am interviewed about my book.

1.     It’s more rewarding to run a marathon than it is to walk to your mailbox. That’s because nearly anyone can walk to a mailbox. Only a few people have what it takes to run a marathon. Relationships are similar. It’s easy to love someone during easy times. It’s a lot more rewarding to love someone through hard times. Few couples without a legally binding marriage certificate find the perseverance to stay together during hard times.

2.     Marriage allows you to take greater risks. My husband, for instance, would not have opened his dream... More...