Photo from Pixabay

When wedding vows are exchanged, a man and a woman make a promise to each other. They promise to love and stay with each other “till death do us part,” for as long as they both are alive—this is the permanence of marriage. This is indeed a “big promise.” But any relationship is full of many “little promises” as well: “I promise to be there tomorrow to help you” and “You can count on me to do that.” A measure of someone’s ability to keep promises on an ongoing basis goes to the heart of what is meant by the words “dependable,” “reliable,” “trustworthy,” and “responsible.” It is not surprising that those who exhibit these attributes are much more likely to keep the big promise of staying married. These are not the attributes, however, that come to mind when one thinks of the typical dating relationship.