[rei]

so, the divorce rate bothers me, and invades that fantasy of happily ever after (which might be a good thing, since the intimacy experts speak about the problems of a fantasy bond and the importance of realizing you're with a real person). but there are still couples, officially married or not, who have something that lasts. or there are those who haven't been together all that long, but they can see things are working well enough to safely think long-term.

i am curious about what you see in your partner or spouse. what are the types of things you have in common? do the differences annoy you or create problems? what would you say is the best advice for realizing when we have found someone worth the ups and downs of a long-term commitment (please don't bring in that whole 'when it happens, you'll know it' platitude - i know that is the case, but i'm interested in something more specific)?