When Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced they would be separating, I immediately thought, as perhaps you did, “Well, here goes another one.”
It seems like after 20 or 25 years so many marriages expire. Does this mean we can only stay interested in each other for a decade or two and then we feel compelled to trade them in for a newer model, hoping for a new curiosity and a new connection?
Is there something about public life that makes it more difficult to make a marriage work?
I wish Arnold and Maria had called me for couples therapy. Perhaps I could have helped. Or maybe we could have squeaked out a few more years at least. One has to assume that they thought long and hard about ending such a long partnership and previously rewarding marriage.
It makes me wonder about my own marriage and the partnerships of everyone I know. If a couple has money, rewarding careers, beautiful children, and their health – what more do they need? Maybe it is all about the passion. Without passion, no matter how wonderful the marriage looks on paper, a couple wont be happy.
Staying together is a challenge. Get help if you need it.
Thanks –
Dr Tammy
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