JENNIFER: I think it's important that you respect each other's opinions and each other's way of doing things. One person shouldn't always have to be right, and one person shouldn't always have to be wrong. There shouldn't always have to be a "winner" when there's a fight or a disagreement.

DEREK: Yeh, because sometimes you get caught up in that, "I've got to win. I'm right and you're wrong." That's how most agruments end up unresolved. You can go on for days and days arguing about the same thing, but you have to remember that no two people do or think alike, and she might do something one way and I might do something the other way but it's not necessarily that she's wrong and I'm right. You've got to respect her opinion and say, "I respect your opinion but I feel differently", and make some kind of compromise that will benefit you both.

ED: I think a lot of people make the mistake that, "I'm going to marry them, and they're going to change their ways and do something different." You really can't expect that. You have to take them for what they are now, and know that that's going to be there the day after you're married. Don't expect that you're going to change them or they're going to change you. Take them as the individual that they are.

NANCY: One's faults or characteristics are not going to become better or are not going to change after marriage simply because you are married. But rather those characteristics of that person remain the same or maybe become even more highlighted once you're married.

PAUL: While we were dating we always seemed to communicate, if not in person at least once a day on the telephone, so we'd set aside 15 or 20 minutes and just talk. But surprising enough, after being married there wasn't even 15 or 20 minutes some of the days to even sit down and talk, and say, "What was interesting in your day?"

NICOLE: We got married and about two months later we lost track of each other. I was working from 5:30 in the morning for long hours, and he was working 'til about 10:00 at night, and we would never see each other. We lost communication.

PAUL: It was quite a bit different than what we imagined or what we thought it would be. It was something like getting caught in a rut -- the daily routine -- basically not having enough time for one another. It was a strange feeling to be living together and being like strangers. It was quite scary actually.

VIRGINIA: Well, it's funny, when you're dating I guess you're always on your best behaviour. You always look your best. You behave a certain way. You know you're going to be seeing that person between 8:00 and midnight. So you have a few hours to prepare, and to recover from it afterwards, but when you're married you're going home with that person. He's going to see you with the cold cream on your face, and curlers in your hair. The illusion is gone. You can't really put anything over on him.

TOM: There's fiancial pressures. When you're dating you've probably got a job, or a part-time job, and you go out dating and it's not that big a problem. But now you're paying rent, etc.... About two years ago, shortly after the baby was born, we found we had $1.16 in the bank account, and what do you do? It's panic time, and you want to go shopping, and when's the next pay cheque coming in. So these are the things that, when you're living with your parents you never anticipate, you never even think about.