While we know that “gray divorce” is increasing in numbers, it’s also important to acknowledge the positive aspects of marriage in later life. New analysis from the Centers for Disease Control makes one thing clear: There are definitive health and longevity advantages from being married.

The comparison data between those who are married and those who are not married demonstrate a “marriage benefit”, i.e, being married seems to confer better health and longer lives on spouses than those who are divorced, widowed or never married. Why is that? It’s probably due to a complex mix of physical and psychological factors as well as lifestyle behaviors, including better diets, more frequent attention to health maintenance and taking fewer risks. For more insights into this data, renew those vows and read more here.

That’s not to say, however, that it’s easy being married in your later years. One stressor that many couples experience is the likely need to become a caregiver for an elderly parent. Recently, AARP profiled the situation of a couple dealing with the demands of caregiving while negotiating the stress on their marriage. As the article notes, even the best relationships can founder under the demands of being a caregiver. Competing obligations and multiple family roles can easily come into conflict. So what’s the advice to withstand the caregiving pressures with your marriage intact? Communication, negotiation, and compromise seem to be the pillars of a successful strategy. Just be prepared for some toil and trouble, or, as Clint Eastwood once said, “They say marriages are made in heaven but so is thunder and lightning.”