Despite all of its trappings and accoutrements, the marriage ceremony comes down to one thing: the vow. As time goes on, that vow can be eroded away if one or both of the partners are not careful. Big and little exits from the marriage take place. Big exits are obvious: they include divorce and abuse. Little exits are more insidious. They eat away at a marriage. Little exits include not communicating on a consistent basis, harboring resentment and being independent, rather than interdependent on the other. It is our duty in a marriage to guard against the little exits right from the start. This is so because it is more difficult to correct them later in the union than in the beginning.