Couple Interview - Marital Challenges

I interviewed John and Cindy about their marriage and the challenges they’ve faced together as a married couple. I am encouraged by their relationship and have decided to use their relationship as a model for my second interview. John and Cindy have been married for almost 5 years. In addition to this union, there is McKenna, Cindy’s son. They are a blended family, of course, and are part of the more modern structure of families in our society.
When reflecting upon their ideas about marriage, prior to actually being married, I noticed that Cindy’s outlook was positive. She knew she would be married one day and looked forward to it. Even though she was in a long-term romantic relationship prior to meeting John, that relationship wasn’t what she considered a foundation for a good marriage. Her former boyfriend was good friends with the family and spent a great amount of time with them. Cindy also spent a great deal of time with his family as well. This allowed them to witness each other’s family of origin. However, the time that John spends with her family, she says, is different. It’s full of quality and genuine caring for her people. John also added that Cindy’s first meeting with his mother and sister exceeded his expectations. They took to her right away and have had a good relationship ever since. As a matter of fact, several of his family members have traveled from their home states to stay with them for weeks at a time.
I decided to ask about the differences between men and women, and if either of them has heard of the book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by author John Gray, the feedback was instant. They both chimed in with the same answer. John has always believed that men will never understand what goes on in a woman’s mind. Cindy believes that men are a different species, and not necessarily human. They way men and women problem solve, in her opinion, are polar opposites. However, when she comes to John with a problem or a task she tries to