---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...setting out together in a marriage is…"
description: "\"“...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like setting out on the river. Some parts will be rough; some will be smooth. You can't see from the st..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg"
---

#  ...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like…

![“...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like setting out on the river. Some parts will be rough; some will be smooth. You can't see from the start where it's gonna travel and where it's gonna end up. Sometimes it'll turn a sharp corner; sometimes it'll drift along awhile. Thing is, no…” quote by Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg)

> ““...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like setting out on the river. Some parts will be rough; some will be smooth. You can't see from the start where it's gonna travel and where it's gonna end up. Sometimes it'll turn a sharp corner; sometimes it'll drift along awhile. Thing is, no matter what the river does, both parties gotta paddle equally, see?””

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Marriage is likened to a river journey where conditions change unpredictably, requiring both partners to contribute equally to navigate.

**In simple terms:** Marriage is a shared river needing equal effort.

Key Takeaway

Both partners must paddle equally.

Themes

relationships partnership adaptability communication balance

Mood

reflective hopeful realistic

Type

advice metaphorical relationship

When to use this quote

- starting a marriage
- facing conflict
- adjusting to change
- making joint decisions

Key Concepts

shared responsibility mutual effort navigation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you ensure equal contribution during tough times?
- What signs show imbalance in effort?

A Different Perspective

Equality may be hard when one partner feels overwhelmed or less capable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Like Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-setting-1673271/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Paddle Equally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paddle-equally-1806712/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Setting Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-marriage-1806710/) [Setting River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-river-1806711/)

## Related quotes

> [Death is like the setting of the sun. The sun never sets; life never ceases. ... we think the sun sets, and it never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-barr/death-is-like-the-setting-of-the-sun-the-sun-never-sets-life-never/)

[Amelia Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-barr/)

> [“Love is like is like the setting sun after shining brightly, it dips steadily till it disappears... only to resurface another day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-vaz/love-is-like-is-like-the-setting-sun-after-shining-brightly-it-dips/)

[Manoj Vaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-vaz/)

> [Depending on others is like setting yourself up for disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/depending-on-others-is-like-setting-yourself-up-for-disappointment/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't like setting goals - I don't like to be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorja-smith/i-don-t-like-setting-goals-i-don-t-like-to-be-disappointed/)

[Jorja Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorja-smith/)

> [Every junkie is like a setting sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/every-junkie-is-like-a-setting-sun/)

[Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/)

> [The setting of a great hope is like the setting of the sun. The brightness of our life is gone. Shadows of evening fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-setting-of-a-great-hope-is-like-the-setting-of-the-sun-the-2/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [The love we most cherish will, of necessity, bring us pain. Because that love is like the setting of a body with broken bones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/the-love-we-most-cherish-will-of-necessity-bring-us-pain-because-that/)

[Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/)

> [“Once you let the truth loose it is like setting a fire that you can't stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/once-you-let-the-truth-loose-it-is-like-setting-a-fire-that-you-can-t/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [If you don't simply communicate with your spouse what household tasks you would like them to do, you are setting yourself up to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-v-gordon/if-you-don-t-simply-communicate-with-your-spouse-what-household-tasks/)

[Emily V. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-v-gordon/)

> [The parent who tries to train without setting a good example is building with one hand, and pulling down with the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/the-parent-who-tries-to-train-without-setting-a-good-example-is/)

[J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/)

> [Through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, and in that sense learning is unselfish, because it results in the transformation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/through-learning-we-grow-becoming-more-than-we-were-before-and-in/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [I just feel that the only power I have is setting a good example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-just-feel-that-the-only-power-i-have-is-setting-a-good-example/)

[Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/)

> [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/)

[Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/)

> [She feels like kicking out all the windows And setting fire to this life She could change everything about her using colors bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/she-feels-like-kicking-out-all-the-windows-and-setting-fire-to-this/)

[Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/)

> [A sea setting us upon the ice has brought us close to danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hudson/a-sea-setting-us-upon-the-ice-has-brought-us-close-to-danger/)

[Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hudson/)

## More by Lisa Wingate

> [“We knock on the door and wait”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/we-knock-on-the-door-and-wait/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“The secret to a happy life is not in getting what you want. It is in learning to want what you get. Don’t waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/the-secret-to-a-happy-life-is-not-in-getting-what-you-want-it-is-in/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“I was not alone in the human condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/i-was-not-alone-in-the-human-condition/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“Somewhere, deep within me, beyond the passion, beyond the beauty of the night, that little spark of Daily magic ignited in me again, began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/somewhere-deep-within-me-beyond-the-passion-beyond-the-beauty-of-the/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“Generally, crises were Mom's domain. Dad's job was to listen, nod, act curmudgeonly, and offer to pay for things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/generally-crises-were-mom-s-domain-dad-s-job-was-to-listen-nod-act/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“I desire to live my life this way,... Not caged by the walls of fear, but in anticipation of the bridges to magnificence. Help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/i-desire-to-live-my-life-this-way-not-caged-by-the-walls-of-fear-but/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“It’s funny how what you’re used to seems like it’s right even if it’s bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/it-s-funny-how-what-you-re-used-to-seems-like-it-s-right-even-if-it-s/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“We are His children, each knit together as we should be. We must go by the name our Father has given us. Beloved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/we-are-his-children-each-knit-together-as-we-should-be-we-must-go-by/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“Joy, I realized, isn't so much a circumstance you find yourself in but a choice you make”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/joy-i-realized-isn-t-so-much-a-circumstance-you-find-yourself-in-but/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“Remember that, in any encounter, the only thing you can control is your own actions and reactions. You cannot dictate the actions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/remember-that-in-any-encounter-the-only-thing-you-can-control-is-your/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“How often ... do we pass by a need, a life that could be changed with the smallest bit of effort? And it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/how-often-do-we-pass-by-a-need-a-life-that-could-be-changed-with-the/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“Oh, child. The best thing is to know. I always tell ’em, best to be who you is. What you is deep down inside.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/oh-child-the-best-thing-is-to-know-i-always-tell-em-best-to-be-who/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“You are a God of winds and tides. Of journeys and storms and navigation by stars and faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/you-are-a-god-of-winds-and-tides-of-journeys-and-storms-and/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“What the mind don’t ’member, the heart still know. Love, the strongest thang of all. Stronger than all the rest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/what-the-mind-don-t-member-the-heart-still-know-love-the-strongest/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

> [“A woman’s past need not predict her future. She can dance to new music if she chooses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/a-woman-s-past-need-not-predict-her-future-she-can-dance-to-new-music/)

[Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

[Explore all 148 Lisa Wingate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/)

## More Marriage quotes

> [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/)

[John Whiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whiting/)

> [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/)

[Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/)

> [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/)

[James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [“Take an interest in his appearance. Keeping his clothes in order is your job; encouraging him to look his best, and admiring him when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-baker/take-an-interest-in-his-appearance-keeping-his-clothes-in-order-is/)

[Ellen Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-baker/)

> [Females always say, you can't turn a hoe into a house wife, but steady be trying to turn a dog into a faithful man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/females-always-say-you-can-t-turn-a-hoe-into-a-house-wife-but-steady/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/)

[William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/)

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/)

[Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/)

> [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [“His own parents, the estimable Gilchrists, a couple who had taken the 'till death' part of their own wedding vows so seriously he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-blake/his-own-parents-the-estimable-gilchrists-a-couple-who-had-taken-the/)

[Ally Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-blake/)

[Browse all 31,920 Marriage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like setting out on the river. Some parts will be rough; some will be smooth. You can't see from the start where it's gonna travel and where it's gonna end up. Sometimes it'll turn a sharp corner; sometimes it'll drift along awhile. Thing is, no matter what the river does, both parties gotta paddle equally, see?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Wingate"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a-lot-like-setting-out-on-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Marriage"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a-lot-like-setting-out-on-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/lisa-wingate-2771_marriage_setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a_165619.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...setting out together in a marriage is a lot like setting out on the river. Some parts will be rough; some…” — Lisa Wingate",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lisa Wingate",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“...setting out together in a marriage...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a-lot-like-setting-out-on-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/setting-out-together-in-a-marriage-is-a-lot-like-setting-out-on-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
