--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only…" description: "\"Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the small things—like being guided slowly forw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png" --- # Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big… ![“Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the small things—like being guided slowly forward, surely, day after day—that stretches out to strengthen even the most tenuous bond.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png) > “Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the small things—like being guided slowly forward, surely, day after day—that stretches out to strengthen even the most tenuous bond.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relationships are built on everyday moments, not just dramatic events; small, consistent actions strengthen bonds over time. **In simple terms:** Small daily acts keep relationships strong. Key Takeaway Focus on everyday kindness. Themes relationships growth consistency intimacy Mood reflective hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - marriage - friendship - parenting - teamwork Key Concepts habit formation emotional resilience Questions to Reflect On - What small habit could you add to improve a relationship? - How do routine actions affect trust? A Different Perspective Large gestures alone cannot sustain a bond without daily effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Small things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Such a small, pure object a poem could be, made of nothing but air a tiny string of letters, maybe small enough to fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/such-a-small-pure-object-a-poem-could-be-made-of-nothing-but-air-a/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“If you are too big to be impacted by your local church, then maybe you are to small to impact the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-are-too-big-to-be-impacted-by-your-local-church-then-maybe-you/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [I maybe small today but I will become big someday through my hardwork and Prayer God will Guide me all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-maybe-small-today-but-i-will-become-big-someday-through-my-hardwork/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Perhaps, if I am very lucky, the feeble efforts of my lifetime will someday be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/perhaps-if-i-am-very-lucky-the-feeble-efforts-of-my-lifetime-will/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“My ambitions aren't grand. All I have ever wanted is to be there for the two people who mean everything to me. Maybe that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/my-ambitions-aren-t-grand-all-i-have-ever-wanted-is-to-be-there-for/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [Marriage is like life - it is a field of battle, not a bed of roses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/marriage-is-like-life-it-is-a-field-of-battle-not-a-bed-of-roses/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Wasn't marriage, like life, unstimulating and unprofitable and somewhat empty when too well ordered and protected and guarded. Wasn't it finer, more splendid, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-ferber/wasn-t-marriage-like-life-unstimulating-and-unprofitable-and-somewhat/) [Edna Ferber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-ferber/) > [“For marriage is like life in this—that it is a field of battle, and not a bed of roses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/for-marriage-is-like-life-in-this-that-it-is-a-field-of-battle-and/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [In the end maybe what marriage offered was the determination of one's burial site.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/in-the-end-maybe-what-marriage-offered-was-the-determination-of-one-s/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [“Maybe our marriage is bound to be a fight, but it will have its compensations. Fights that end in bed have their own singular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-lamb/maybe-our-marriage-is-bound-to-be-a-fight-but-it-will-have-its/) [Charlotte Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-lamb/) > [Let me rock you up, maybe marriage, baby carriage, let me knock you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/let-me-rock-you-up-maybe-marriage-baby-carriage-let-me-knock-you-up/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [“Maybe that’s what a marriage is,” Mqaret said. “Whistling together. Some kind of performance. I mean, not just a conversation, but a performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/maybe-that-s-what-a-marriage-is-mqaret-said-whistling-together-some/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Maybe that's what marriage does, Helen thought. One day you're holding your breath lest a ghost fly up your nose and the next your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-yoerg/maybe-that-s-what-marriage-does-helen-thought-one-day-you-re-holding/) Sonja Yoerg > [Maybe that is what marriage is: Two people creating a cult together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-trussoni/maybe-that-is-what-marriage-is-two-people-creating-a-cult-together/) [Danielle Trussoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-trussoni/) > [“It’s like life: sometimes the littlest thing turns out to be the most important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/it-s-like-life-sometimes-the-littlest-thing-turns-out-to-be-the-most/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the small things—like being guided slowly forward, surely, day after day—that stretches out to strengthen even the most tenuous bond.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Dessen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-about-the-big-moments-whether/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-about-the-big-moments-whether/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/sarah-dessen-110_be-good_maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-abou_2747424.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the…” — Sarah Dessen", "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": "Sarah Dessen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-about-the-big-moments-whether/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/maybe-marriage-like-life-is-nt-only-about-the-big-moments-whether/#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 } } ] } ```