Approximately 50% of marriages end in divorce. Of the 50% of couples who stay together, how many are happily married? The stats aren’t clear on that, but my guess is that it’s probably around 25%. If that’s true, that means marriage is either only for the few or most people are doing it wrong.

My guess is that most of us are doing it wrong, and a lack of patience is a big part of the problem. The patience to wait for the right person and the patience to work out problems before seeking divorce.

Sometimes patience is forced upon married couples. Many couples stay together “for the kids.” This may sometimes cause an unhappy situation to continue, but other times it might prevent couples from making a big mistake, because what bothers us now may not bother us later. Sometimes being forced to be patient is a good thing.

When we get married, we’re convinced that we’re making the right decision. Half of us then become convinced that divorce is the right decision. “I was young and stupid back then. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.” Yes, maybe. Or maybe the grass seems greener on the other side. Maybe we were being impatient when we decided to get married and maybe we’re being impatient when we want to end the marriage.