Ask any couple that has been married for many decades what made it work and they will tell you it took commitment and effort. While those two ingredients are essential in all marriages, each era seems to have difficulties that its marriages face that are unique to that era. Today's marriages have their own brand of stresses that can make it difficult to remember what it was that each partner loved about the other in the first place. The stresses are usually not caused by a lack of love or compatibility but are due to circumstances that create a stressful situation within the union. .

             It is well documented through research that spouses do not always stand by each other during times of stress. When a couple first marries they often believe their life will be filled with complete love and happiness with nary a cross word or thought(Drive, 1994). When realities of life set in and stress begins to build it can come as quite a shock to the married couple. Today there are many avenues of stress that can have a negative impact on a marriage. .

             MILITARY LIFE.

             One of the most significant stressors that is being seen in marriage today is the military life. With the nation at war overseas there are many thousands of military families currently thrown into stressful situation that were not present when they decided to marry. Husbands and wives are being sent overseas while spouses are being asked to remain at home and care for children while working to help keep the bills paid(George, 2004). .

             The initial stress begins when one of the spouses is deployed overseas. The remaining spouse is expected to keep a stiff upper lip, tend the home fires, work to keep the bills paid and put on a brace front for family and friends. While this is being expected the news media is churning out daily reports of troops being killed in the war. This is an extremely stressful situation for any marriage to be placed under.