There are some things you can\u2019t possibly know about marriage until you\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n
Below, HuffPost Divorce bloggers and readers on Facebook reflect on what they wish they had known about marriage before saying \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n
1. You need more than love to keep your marriage alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cLove is not enough. You must like your partner and have a deep respect for them. You need someone who is your best friend. You need a rock and a place that is not just a house, but a home. You need a partner in life. The best marriages I\u2019ve been blessed to know have had that at their foundation.\u201d \u2015 Jessica Kahan
\n2. The annoying habits that drive you nuts before you\u2019re married won\u2019t go away once you\u2019re wed. <\/p>\n
\u201cYour spouse\u2019s annoying habits multiply exponentially after you\u2019ve tied the knot. I\u2019m talking about little things that gain annoying momentum as years go by. For me, it was abrasive quirks like these: tailgating at rush hour, interrupting me to correct me, calling every woman he met \u2018sweetheart\u2019 and twisting his napkin into a knot after every meal. Shallow and petty, I admit, but day after day took its toll. While dating, I wrote them off as changeable and cute. When the adrenaline wore off, those pesky habits became a problem.\u201d \u2015 Kat Forsythe<\/p>\n
3. It\u2019s not necessary to spend every waking minute together.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up, my dad was a \u2018rolling stone\u2019 so I always thought that in order to prevent that sort of thing, married couples had to like the same things, do the same things and always be in each other\u2019s sight. This is what I carried into my first marriage. Notice I said first marriage. That approach to spending time together ended in divorce. I\u2019m remarried now and I know that it\u2019s healthy for couples to have their own identity and enjoy their own hobbies.\u201d\u2014 Tiffany Benyacko<\/p>\n