treat your marriage as a plant

one reflection that I recently had was that marriage should be treated as a plant. it is important to view the relationship as an organic entity, that needs constant care and attention. the roots have to be kept strong and firm, and well nurtured. otherwise, we risk focusing too much on the leaves (i.e. the outward-looking characteristics), and forget about where the strength of the marriage comes from. sometimes the focus becomes to make the leaves and flowers look good, whereas if the roots are strong and healthy, the flowers and leaves will flourish as a result. communication, consultation, love, attention to each other - those are the important parts.