"LOVE HABITS make 'em, don't break 'em. "

You notice them right away: those couples who seem truly in sync. They're tenderly affectionate, laugh generously at each other's jokes and, even when they disagree, seem more allies than adversaries.

How do they manage it? What happy couples do right.....

THEY REMEMBER TO LAUGH

"Humor is the best way to put all the hassles and tribulations of life into perspective,"says Paul Moschetta, D.S.W., a marriage and family therapist in New York City and Huntington, New York.

"Laughter breaks the tension and cools the hot emotions surrounding an argument. When you can laugh together, you create your own special world."

In fact, your partner's ability to see the silly side of life may have been what attracted you to him in the first place. But as time goes by, many of us stop being funny with our spouses.

After all, the realities of our lives--failing math grades, demanding bosses, leaky bathroom faucets--aren't particularly funny.

Even so, says Moschetta, "You have to find the playful, childlike sides of yourselves. If you never have fun, it can prove disastrous for your relationship."

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