Have you ever heard of the song, "What's Forever For" by Michael Martin Murphey? This song makes me emotional. I know that this song is for all relationships out there but it is in marriage where two people literally offer each other to love forever. When two people vow to love each other forever, I wonder why is it then that some marriages end?

Some people do not believe in the sanctity of marriage anymore because of the high rate of divorce. Some people feel that marriage is only a contract, a piece of paper that is not enough to guarantee forever. But for me, marriage is not just a contract, it is more than a promise --- it is a sacred vow. Marriage is a blessing, not only you are committing yourself to this person but it is as if you are making a shout out to the world proclaiming, "Here I am in front of all of you.... witness my love to this person as I dedicate my life to him/her."

But marriage oftentimes fail. It fails for a lot of different and valid reasons for the people involved. Marriage afterall, is a relationship between two people who are both subject to failures and imperfections. But what differs marriage from just any other relationships is the blessing from God, or to some the legality that makes the union lawfully acceptable and recognized.

Once married, the couple enters into a higher and deeper level of relationship.
They now must hold on to each other for they are building their lives together as one---thus the need for foundations.

I believe that these are the five foundations a couple must have in marriage:
1. Honor. I put honor on the top of the list because it is the one that we must hang on to when dealing with other people. When we are with other people, we are not only representing our own but whatever it is we do affect and reflect our spouse directly or indirectly. If we have honor in all our dealings, we have respect, we value decency, we practice honesty.
Between spouses, treating each other with respect is very important. "I respect your feelings. I will not do anything to hurt your feelings."

2. Loyalty. Loyalty is to support each other all the way. It means you are faithful to your vows, that you will be with each other through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse." I will be here with you no matter what it takes, I will take care of you." Loyalty is also simply being faithful.

3. Love. Love is so much more than what you feel for each other and is so much more than physical attraction. Because human is bound to fail, to make mistakes and is imperfect, it is through love that we look beyond each others shortcomings and instead accept each other for who and what we are. I believe that love is not blind but rather looks beyond the imperfections with open heart and mind. Love is always saying we are sorry for our mistakes, for being weak knowing that we could be better, for causing pain to our spouse. Love is passionate, it is a feeling that needs to be transpired, it is our touch, our warmth, our kiss, our expression of adoration and affection. Love is always a two way street, is a tango, is something that must be reciprocated. " I love you and I want to be here with you each morning and night because I want to witness and share your life with me as I am sharing it with you."

4. Communication. Because a lot of things happen in our daily lives, it is very important to communicate our thoughts and feelings. Openness allows us to make a connection with each other. It is a good way to share humor, to express sincerity, to set a compromise and meet in the middle, to discuss expectations, to work things out, to speak up and to listen. Open communication allows us to not be afraid of who we really are inside because we know that our spouse is willing to listen and understand us. "How can I make this better? I know we are a team and we are in this together."

5. Patience is last but not the least. It is not to be mistaken with apathy because with patience, we still show that we care. There will always be times that our patience will be tested by our spouse, times when we want to burst in anger when a spouse just does not listen, does not cooperate, does not understand, simply does not do things you want him/her to do. Patience is the key to make or break our day. We should be able to practice tolerance and distinguish which small things we can let go and which big things need to be discussed. Patience is important in determining if something is worth arguing about or not. Patience, in the long run pays off as it brings calm rather than noise in the relationship, in the long run determines if you can truly accept the person you married for who and what he/she is and live with that person for the rest of your life. "Dear, since I know you do not like asking for directions, and that you know how important it is for me that we get there on time, I have taken the liberty to use the google map."

Marriage to me is not only an agreement but the ultimate seal of that love that no man or woman should be allowed to break. And because of this reason, I truly believe that if people are truly, madly, deeply in love with each other, they will always find a way to be together --- no matter what. If the marriage has fallen, it is simply because the foundations were not strong enough in the first place and thus was not able to stand the tests of time. There is no guarantee for anyone that their marriage is the one that will last forever, but with strong foundations we can rest assure that our marriage can survive any storm one at a time.