It’s getting harder and harder these days to take a photo like this one showing a happily married couple celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Why? Because although people are living longer, marriages aren’t. Creating a happy marriage is an art, really. Not a talent. Not luck. And not a given.

We live in a world that celebrates the individual. Me. Not you and me. Not us. If you disagree, just check out the world around us. Both daytime and nighttime TV shows flourish with images of unhappy married couples looking for that elusive happiness outside their marriage – in affairs, hobbies, educational achievements, fitness programs, shopping, sports, you name it. Supermarket magazines place divorce news front and center on their covers. And the internet has become the playground of the individual, where you can merrily develop multiple personalities across various social media sites and seek virtual relationships with others online.

So where does this leave married couples who desire the tools necessary to learn the “secret” to a long, successful marriage? Many “divorce care” support groups and family support groups exist, but “marriage” programs that celebrate and foster happy marriages are often deemed uncool in today’s world. It’s uncool to live happily day after day returning home to someone who cares where you’ve been, how your day was? It’s uncool to have someone to share life’s ups and downs with? It’s uncool to create a “history” with one individual who knows and loves you – warts and all?

Polls state that the one relationship more individuals want to improve is their marriage. If you are one of these people, run – don’t walk – to a Marriage Encounter event near you and find the joy that both you and your spouse deserve!