Marriage is a series of compromises, some harder than others. I’ve never really shirked “the old college try,” even in challenging circumstances. With successes and failures both.

I was talking with a girlfriend the other day about some difficult issues she’s facing in her relationship. All hard. Some harder than others.

When you have a long list of grievances (and I must say that she is entitled to most of them), it’s important to pick your battles.

A partner faced with a laundry list of issues will feel overwhelmed. Without a doubt. It’ll look like a brick wall that he or she can’t climb and none of the issues will get addressed.

It seems to me that prioritizing is the way to go. In her case, it’s fairly easy to see the fundamental, underlying issue that must be addressed first.