We are mature and strong enough in our relationship to deal with any number of tragedies in the future.

Sickness, chronic disease and death within a marriage and family can challenge a couple to recognize how deep their love is for one another. These challenging experiences can involve one or both of the partners, their children, as well as their parents.

While most couples look forward to having children, how would you react if your child were born with severe disabilities or died at a young age? Couples who suffer the loss of a child are encouraged to share their feelings with one another. Similar to what can occur in the stages of death and dying, couples that lose a child can experience anger, depression, guilt and a host of other feelings. Unfortunately, sometimes people suppress their feelings or, especially in cases of accidental deaths, they may blame a spouse or other child for not having prevented the accident. There is also a tendency in such circumstances to react by being overprotective of other children in the family. Families who find themselves unable to cope over time with the death of a child should seek professional assistance in dealing with the grieving process.

It has also been said that for a couple to say they are truly happy, they have to experience at least five good times for every one bad time. What ratio of good to bad times do you believe exists in your relationship? Have your number of good times to bad times grown, decreased or remained constant over the course of time?