One nice thing Adam had going for him with Eve was that there were no comparisons for either of them to make. For much of the early part of their marriage, there was no couple down the street with a nicer house, no wife with a more expensive haircut or fashion jewelry, no husband with firmer abs and a sleeker sports car.

Can anyone imagine how much more we might appreciate our partners if we could have the same lack of comparisons to live by as Adam and Eve enjoyed? I suspect we’d love deeper, appreciate each other more and be kinder and more generous in our forgiveness of one another.

Of course, that’s Eden-style thinking. Then again, Eden didn’t last long, did it?