5 Truths How I Met Your Mother Taught Us About Marriage

Courtesy of CBS

When my now-husband and I were in a long-distance relationship, only one thing made the four-hour bus ride from New York to Boston manageable: How I Met Your Mother DVDs. That was back when Ted was pining for Robin (for the first time), Marshall was svelte, and Lily was still holding on to her dreams of being a painter. Hanging with my friends at McLaren's made me forget that I was on a bumpy, Arby-scented Greyhound bus, and that one day later I'd have to do the trip again, then spend the next week missing my boyfriend so much that only Barney's boob jokes could console me. Equally important as, if not more important than, how to survive smelly public transport, here are five other lessons How I Met Your Mother taught me about relationships. (Contains spoilers)

1. Chemistry is important, but it's not eternal.

Barney and Robin's attraction to each other was undeniable—but just because you're dying to tear off someone's silk suit doesn't mean that you'll have a happy marriage. You need a strong foundation for when the sexy stuff fades, because it will.

2. As long as you find his quirks adorable, no one else has to.

When I first met my husband, he had a leather jacket that cinched at his waist—the type old golf pros wear. Like Ted's red cowboy boots, this coat was his all-time favorite thing. He'd whip it out whenever he wanted to feel cool… like at the Meatloaf concert he took me to. Though there was nothing suave about his sartorial or musical choices, I found his admittedly questionable taste endearing. Love means accepting all of your partner—and then proving it by taking him shopping for new outerwear.

3. You need to support each other, no matter what.

One of the many reasons that Marshmellow and Lily Pad are TV's couple supreme is that they always have each other's backs. (Let's conveniently ignore the time Lily moved to San Francisco and broke all of our hearts.) While I'd rather sit through one of Ted's architecture lectures than another Yankees game with my baseball fanatic husband, Lily and Marshall taught me that compromise is key to a happy union. If you really care about your spouse, making concessions—even the ones you can't dull the pain of with overpriced ballpark beer—won't feel like a sacrifice.

4. Don't lose hope.

While sobbing into my goblet of wine during last night's series finale, I considered what an earth-shattering bummer it would be if my husband passed away. Then Ted, who never gave up faith, reminded me that even if your great love is tragically lost, it can come again. And for my for my friends who haven't found it yet, their blue-French-horn-worthy person is still out there. Note to single guys: Start carrying yellow umbrellas.

5. And lastly, when you're both feeling down, there's always scotch and laser tag.


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