Keeping marriage and family together

I’ve been with my partner for 26 years; we have four kids. The first decade or so was easy; we never argued, probably because we didn’t face any real storms. But it got harder after that. We had to deal with multiple struggles, and during heated arguments, we often blamed each other. We diverged on financial priorities and even on our parenting philosophies. The details don’t matter. We’re different in many ways. Different demeanors, different opinions. We both made mistakes.

There were times when we questioned whether we were still a wholesome family bound by love and shared values.

But I’ve stayed committed to keeping the family together.

Here’s what’s helped me. None of the below are hard goals. They’re more like directions I’ve tried to follow — a set of convictions I’ve stuck with, even during turbulent times:

Commitment.

There’s nothing magic or sacred about commitment. I’m not trying to virtue signal either. If something isn’t working, in business or in life, you’re not obligated to stay committed. In fact, often you probably shouldn’t. Still, I’ve always had a very strong intrinsic sense of commitment to my family — my wife and kids. Life is hard; getting through it requires patience and persistence. I expect all of us to make mistakes. But I stay committed.

Accountability.

Even during arguments when I’m convinced I’m right and my partner is wrong, I still try to accept a broader sense of…