I've been married for 13 years - these are the 3 things I think everyone should know before they tie the knot

I have one first cousin. My wife has 12. My cousin lives in a different state than we do. All but one of my wife's cousins live within an hour drive, and that's with heavy traffic.

When I married her, I married into a huge, close-knit family that was quite unlike my own small family. And I love them all, and it's all well and good now, but it took time to adjust to the dynamic. You must also be ready to share your spouse with their career, their friends, their hobbies, and more.

If I can avoid having an argument with someone, whether that person is an airline gate agent, a roofing contractor, or my own wife, I will do it. And for a number of years, I honestly thought that by avoiding arguments I was being a loving, stable partner.

What I finally realized (remember, we got married young!) was that sometimes I wasn't avoiding arguments; I was avoiding issues. If two people spend enough time together, there will be conflict, that's just a given.

The way you resolve your conflicts is up to you and your spouse, but hiding from the argument will not only leave the underlying issue unaddressed — and it can leave your partner feeling disrespected and even unloved.