A relationship with a romantic partner is one of the most desired human experiences, yet it is one of the most difficult relationships to maintain (Moore, Jekielek, Bronte-Tinkew, Guzman, Ryan, & Redd, 2004) . There are certain strengths, characteristics, and skills needed to maintain a healthy relationship or marriage. Moore et al. (2004) list ten constructs of a healthy marriage based on decades of research: couples' commitment to each other; marital satisfaction; conflict resolution; communication; absence of violence; fidelity; quality time; intimacy and emotional support; commitment to children; being legally married and duration of marriage. The two couples interviewed for this evaluation both demonstrate these ten constructs to varying degrees. Grace and Henry Hirsch are an interracial couple who have been married for 39 years. They met when Henry was 19 and Grace was 22, a single mother with three girls, recently separated from an abusive husband. Grace is a beautiful black woman who exemplifies her name, Grace. She is the definition of her name, elegant, stylish, balanced and strong. Henry is of German descent and is a man of stature; he is tall and broad and exudes charm and an easy manner. The couple met in Detroit but moved to Florida after five years of marriage and both agree that while their marriage was strong, the move to the South made it impenetrable. It was in Florida that the Hirschs faced discrimination as a couple and protection for their family, which grew with the addition of another child. Marriages between black-white couples tend to have higher rates of instability for various reasons. One hypothesis is due to persistent racism and distrust of blacks... half of the document... union of the heirs. Works Cited DeFrain, J. (1999). Strong families everywhere. Australian Institute of Family Studies, 53, 6-13.Dion, M. R. (2005). Healthy Marriage Programs: Learning What Works. The Future of Children, 15(2), 139-156. doi:10.1353/foc.2005.0016Long, L.L., & Young, M.E. (2007). Counseling and therapy for couples (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.Moore, K.A., Jekielak, S.M., Bronte-Tinkew, J., Guzman, L., Ryan, S., & Redd, Z. (2004). What is a healthy marriage? Defining the concept (2004-2016). Retrieved from Child Trends website: www.childtrends.orgVan Hook, M.P. (2014). Social work practice with families: A resilience-based approach (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: Lyceum.Zhang, Y., & Hook, J.V. (2009). Marital dissolution among interracial couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 95-107. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00582.x