Everyone wonders… am I ‘normal’?

It’s a popular question – people often wonder how their relationship, their happiness, stacks up against others. Are you holding hands more or less than other couples? Are you more or less affectionate? Do you have hotter, steamier, more passionate sex, or are you less than average?

A new book has attempted to answer this question. In Ellen McCarthy’s column on WashingtonPost.com, she reviewed and discussed The Normal Bar by co-authors Chrisanna Northrup, Pepper Schwartz and James Witte. A hint: communication is the most important thing in happy marriages. My favorite quote from Schwartz is, “I really want people to treat their marriage like a living, breathing organism. If you don’t give it the things it needs, it’s going to shrivel or limp along.”