One of the best parts of Gwyneth Paltrow's interview for Elle Magazine's September cover story is where she talks about her parents, who were married for 32 years up until her father's death in 2002:

"I used to say to my dad, 'How did you and mom stay  married for all this time?' And he'd say, 'Two things. Number one: You gotta have the same dreams. One person can't be daydreaming about walking down the street in Paris, the other person wants to work in a coal mine. You've gotta want the same stuff.'

At number two, she laughs. "He said, 'We never wanted to get divorced at the same time.'"

"We just do what we want to do. We're not here to suppress each other; we complement each other. He looks great whatever he does. I'm constantly changing, evolving. That's good, right?

...Neither of us is ever scared to express ourselves or feels the pressure to conform. And people are always saying, 'What's he going to do next with his hair?' "

-Victoria Beckham in the January 2011 InStyle UK

Though Posh and Becks are often ridiculous, I love this aspect of their coupling. In any long-term relationship, it can be very easy for two people to unconsciously hold each other back: into certain roles, looks, or behaviors. I think this subtle suppression is a big part of why marriage sometimes gets a bad rap. Staying open to a partner's changes, from hairstyles to jobs, is something that most of us have to actively work on.

The Beckhams have had some public bumps in the road, but they definitely seem to cheer each other on and allow each other to evolve, both in their styles and careers. And after 12 years of marriage (which seems like an eternity in celebrity-ville) they seem to be going strong.

"A happy marriage is simply a series of successful dinners."

-the aforementioned Mme. Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, in her very fun to read book The Men in Your Life: Timeless Advice and Wisdom on Managing the Opposite Sex