On Saturday, my husband and I celebrated our sixteenth wedding anniversary. I cannot believe how quickly the years have flown.

The occasion caused me to reflect on how we have been able to stay happily married for such a long period. As someone whose first marriage ended in divorce after seven years, sixteen years is quite the accomplishment.

We do have certain ground rules we live by. If something is bothering one of us, we discuss it until that spouse feels that there’s been a resolution. Also, as a blended marriage, we each have children from our first marriages, totaling four children. If we disagree with an issue concerning the children, we never let the children see our disagreement. We will discuss our disagreement in private and, if we are at a stalemate, the spouse whose biological child is the subject of the disagreement will make the final decision.

We started this practice when we first were married when, one of our three daughters, wanted to wear a different dress to our wedding than the other two. It worked for us then and continues to work.

What’s your secret to a happy relationship?