The key to relationships is honesty !
I never believe the old "we've been together 40 years and never had a cross word" nonsense......
You're either lying, or you don't talk to each other !
You have to be honest enough with each other to speak your mind, and to disagree with each other, in the knowledge that it's probably not the end of the world if you do !
The good lady ploughs her own furrow, sometimes when I strongly disagree with her - but at least she knows how I feel.......and vice versa, of course !