幸福婚姻 白头偕老的秘密

-- Be funny. On the night in 1967 that Jackie and Ken Egan met at a dance club in Newton, Mass., he asked her for a kiss. She declined: "I don't know you," she told him. "And my kisses are like Lay's potato chips -- you wouldn't want just one."

The Egans, who live in Marshfield, Mass., and have four children, just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Monday. Ms. Egan says laughter helps them deal with issues that would otherwise drive them nuts -- such as Mr. Egan's fussy eating habits and forgetfulness about putting the toilet seat down. Or Ms. Egan's inability to let her husband finish a story without interrupting him, or her many knickknacks.

"You need to learn to find the humor in each other's annoying habits. It helps you keep the affection," says Ms. Egan, 69.