Never judge a marriage by what it looks like from the outside.

I spoke with a long-time friend recently, and she told me she was in the process of divorcing her husband. They have two young children together.

This news came as a surprise to me, as I thought her husband was HV. I did not know him well, but on the surface, he seemed perfect—well-mannered, educated, high-earning, attractive, and a good parent. They seemed like a happy family.

I know not all marriages are as they seem, but this one really threw me for a loop—her husband had abused her verbally, emotionally, and physically for a decade, and I never knew. Really scary stuff.

I guess I'm posting this as a reminder that the only two people who really know what's going on inside a marriage are the two people married to each other (and perhaps their children). Everything they present to the outside world, even to their friends, may be fake.