Communication, kindness, caring, cuddles, and courtsey are the lynch pins for us. (33 years married, so far). Oh, plus laughter and still fancying each other! Perhaps the earth doesn't move as often as it used to but we have lots of physical contact. And we like each other. .....
Gransnet forums
Relationships
Every now and then a poster comes on and talks about ending a marriage (or long relationship) and it always saddens me. When a couple first get together it's almost always with the expectation that the relationship will last; there are dreams and hopes invested in the marriage and it's full of promise. It got me wondering what people who have been happily married (or cohabiting) for a long time would say has been a key component in maintaining such a good relationship?
I read this article today:
www.careforthefamily.org.uk/family-life/marriage-support/building-up-shared-experiences and recognised that all of their recommendations for ways of building up shared experiences in a marriage are central to my own relationship with my husband. I would also add that for us mutual respect and our shared faith have been hugely important in our relationship, and after almost thirty years since we wed we still often say the magic words, 'I love you' to each other. 
I totally agree Winifred !!
I always said I'd take a man who made me laugh over good looking. Grampy says I got lucky and got both !
david1968 mentioned laughter . I like all those alliterative words in his first sentence, I agree with them all.
35 years not out 
I mean nearly 40 years 
My hubby & I are both "second time rounders".
We met in our late 40s both having been married before. Because of that we had "life experience" and truly value that we found each other when we had mutual needs.
It hasnt always been easy but as he often says "we are rock solid" We are each others best friend and can tell each other everything. He has taught me that feelings are very important....both good ones and sad ones. He allows me to cry when I need to and accepts then that having feelings and expressing them are what makes us human. Because of him I have the family I never had myself and love all of the members of my "step famliy" as if they were my own flesh and blood. Im so grateful that we found each other....
and so is he. 
Life can begin at 50 !!
ffinn your post had me welling up. How lovely.
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