jenx67, that's a really interesting way to look at it. I feel kind of torn. On one hand, I do believe that even the best marriages require a lot of hard work (and yes, prayer, as Hillary said). It's easy to be happy and in love when everything's going your way. But I also think it would be naive of us to assume that the Obamas' marriage has been all fun and parties. The Clinton's problems were very public, but that doesn't mean people without such public problems aren't working through tough things. My guess is that the Obamas have had to work through a lot of stuff, too, and that they've just done it in a way that allows them to grow closer through the struggle. (But obviously right now I'm all starry-eyed about them, and prone to think only the best thoughts!) This is a good issue to think through more. Thanks for bringing it up!

Shell, thanks for reading and commenting! I don't know if you're referencing the photo of the Obamas or the flickr photo I used for this post, but either way I agree—I love both of them!

Zoe, you've added such sweet images and ideas to this post, with your descriptions of different types of hand-holding, and how it makes you feel. I'm curious, have you felt that way about hand-holding as long as you can remember?