Quote of the Day - 03/23/2012

One of the truest pleasures of marriage is solitude. Also the most deeply reassuring. I continued to do my own job…she hers. - John Bayley in Elegy for Iris

~~~~~

I’ve been married for close to 40 years and I find that Bayley’s observation is true for me. It is the ‘alone but not too alone’ aspect of marriage. It is such a pleasure to have solitude without loneliness. These days my husband and I are often in the house together but doing separate activities. We come together periodically for meals or a project…or just because we need some interaction. Neither of us feels obligated to interact more or differently; we are well tuned to each other.

Is this true for all marriages that have been sustained over a long time? Does it make a difference if one or both people are introverts?