After “Happily Ever After”, Part 1

In fiction, romance novels in particular, the author typically ends the story at the “happily ever after.” Your hero and heroine are engaged, or married, and everything seems to be coming up roses. And that’s where the story should end in fiction – it leaves the reader with a nice, happy sigh. It’s easy to think that’s where the story ends in real life, as well. After all, the hard part–meeting Mr. or Miss Right, falling in love–is finished. Just about everything in modern culture says that’s the end – it’s smooth sailing from here on out. But in real life, this is where the hard part begins.

As I thought about this, and talked with some friends about it, I realized that it’d be a good topic for a series of posts. My husband and I will have been married 19 years this August. We’ve weathered the ups and downs that come with a life together – the things you don’t tend to find between the covers of a book.

So I hope you’ll hang out with me for the next little while and jump in with your own thoughts as we explore what’s next after the happily ever after.