What is a successful marriage?

John C. , Australia

Define successful...... Hmmmmm!! Everybody will have a different way of expressing this phrase....
In my case, the relationship I have with my RW (Russian Wife - not woman) is magical to me.
She is so different from my former spouse; it is like chalk and cheese.
She is attentive, kind, gentle. She will give her opinion and will try and assist where she can despite the differences in culture and language. This gets better as her confidence improves.

She drives me mad going to the shops (I can write off several hours when it should only take minutes), but hey that's okay. She will not buy anything unless I approve no matter how much I say don't worry, if you like it buy it!!! Perfumes are a case in point for example. She'll drag me into the perfumery, the sales assistant now brings me a chair so I can rest whiles she will sample the various fragrances and then ask me to smell and give my opinion........and I wouldn't have a clue.......!!
If I am having an overload at the office, she'll offer to come and help me. She wants to work as a team.
She does rely on me, and this is to be expected because of complete change in environments.
Her other Russian girlfriends think she is a lucky girl to have such an attentive husband..... :-))  Well it's not hard, because I developed a deep love for my girl and I will do anything I can to make her happy.

She loves the attention I give her because she NEVER got this from her former spouse. Her daughter, who I have inherited, has forgotten about her natural father completely and I am now HER DAD........:-)) And she's a great kid and sister for my son too. They fight like cats and dogs , just a regular family......:-))
She trusts me implicitly, to the point that some of her Russian girlfriends now have ask me for advice through her if they are having difficulties with their rrelationship with their Aussie man. It a little unique too I think.
She is a real worry wart. She's always asking for reassurance.....I am her rock...... She worries that she is not good enough and I will want to find a new mate.....

 Well I can tell everyone here that the odds of me finding another woman better than her are "Buckley's " or "None"
By the same token whilst I am the "boss" of the family, she will not put up with any crap either. If she thinks I have gone overboard on something, she'll give me "what for" very quickly. She has my complete respect. I like to think that I have her respect too.
She likes the fact that I am encouraging her to be more independent. She has her driver’s license, and the use of her own vehicle. She now helps with the children to and from school, which was something I had to do, which would eat severely into my working day........
My other family members are so happy to have a Russian "cousin" in the family. Still many of my extended family have not met her and my daughter yet and I am getting some ultimatums in that department (from the extended family) so the family tour is in the planning stages now......... My Russian wife is now worrying about this trip and meeting them.........:-))
Other things such as the intimacy in our rrelationship. All I think about everyday when I am away from her in my quiet moments is her. She will sometimes telephone at the most odd time to say I love you.......:-))
There are many other things as well, just small things however they all add up.
Does she get unhappy? Yes she does, she misses for her Mum, and her old friends and sister (who lives in Poland) however, the scales still weigh in my favour....:-)) My international telephone bill gets a caning every month, but hey, that's okay because if she's happy then I'm happy......:-))
So how do you define successful...... Good Question.......??
I know I am one lucky guy and I only wished I had met her many many years ago..........:-))

If it wasn't for the Internet Dating scene, I would never have met her, so I have the Internet to thank for my good fortune......:-))
Mind you guys I was perusing the Internet dating sites for two years or so before I found my soul-mate.......:-))

So don't give up because you have not succeeded in the first six months.......
This is my own side of the definition of successful.........:-))

John C.

(first published at www.russianblacklist.com/forum)