Marriage looks like something hard and sometimes impossible, but the long-married couple, who were married for around 40 years, shares in their book : ‘What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets’, personal details of their marriage. However, Mrs. Thomas discloses that even though she is happily married with her husband Phil, she grew up with little interest in being married.

In her book, she pessimistically had a thought of marriage: “Marriage is like a vacuum cleaner: you stick it to your ear, and it sucks out all your energy and ambition.”

After Phil Donahue’s first marriage ended in divorce, Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue both met one another, which made her change thought about marriage, since she till then, was , comparing marriage to being a prisoner that one must appease.

Phil Donahue rose to fame in the public eye with his show, “The Phil Donahue Show,” which was later rebranded as just “Donahue.” The program introduced audience interaction for the first time during its 29-year run. Marlo Thomas, a guest on the show, played a pivotal role in reshaping the host’s life.

According to the book, the pair first met in Chicago in 1977, and Phil brought four youngsters with him. A daughter, his fifth kid, resided somewhere else with his ex-wife and her mother.

Before tying the knot in 1980 with a modest wedding attended by just 35 guests, Marlo and Phil had dated for three years. As expected, Marlo’s sudden change of heart about marriage surprised her friends and family. In the couple’s book, they share a humorous anecdote about Marlo’s bridal shower. During the event, guests displayed comments from the bride-to-be that exposed her previous views on marriage.

According to the novel, Marlo’s mom was more surprised than anyone, asking Donahue “How did you get her to do this?” throughout the couple’s wedding.

In the book, Thomas is forthright and admits that a seed of uncertainty was planted during this exchange. Was she now a hypocrite for getting married if she had spent so much of her life criticizing marriage? Had she disappointed those who looked up to her as the epitome of independence?

Even complete strangers reportedly expressed disbelief, among other feelings, at the celebrity social activist’s choice to settle down. On the flight the couple flew to their honeymoon in Greece, a passenger expressed dissatisfaction to Marlo while Phil was in the restroom, apparently upset that she had given up her former independent streak.

Donahue and Thomas have successfully maintained their marriage to this day, despite the usual ups and downs they discuss in their book when recounting their long-lasting union. They view these challenges as valuable learning experiences that have ultimately strengthened their relationship.

Even early in their marriage, the couple spent time apart while Phil taped his show in Chicago and Marlo traveled for her own acting career.

When Thomas’ aunt remarked that the couple’s union was invalid because they weren’t completely cohabitating, Thomas was better able to see how different people define marriage. Thomas and Donahue were able to maintain their marriage despite their separation.

Thomas reminisced on what it was like to assist Phil in raising his children in a 2012 interview with AARP, saying she went into it knowing that they already had a traditional mother and that would not be her role, but instead, Marlo says that in attempt to emulate her own mother’s parenting, she started to treat Phil’s kids more like friends. She goes on to claim that she feels closer to them now than she did when the marriage first began.

Instead, Marlo says that in attempt to emulate her own mother’s parenting, she started to treat Phil’s kids more like friends. She goes on to claim that she feels closer to them now than she did when the marriage first began.

Donahue notes that Thomas did in fact spend as much time as she could in the talk getting to know his sons and trying to comprehend the boys in the book.

Phil and Marlo think their lengthy marriage is due to their faith in one another, in addition to her close relationship with his children. Marlo clarifies, “You build trust when you realize that this person always has your back.”

Phil continues by saying that for a marriage to endure, both partners must want it to. Marlo agrees with him and adds that she would never want to be anything other than wedded to her boyfriend. According to her, Donohue has helped her in “every way possible.”

They still have more memories to create after having been married for more than 40 years.

A strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. It’s a husband and wife who take turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak

We can all learn a lot from and be inspired by this duo. We should all aspire to be in a relationship that is as fulfilling as theirs!