Beyond Color and Creed

Bumping into happily-in-love mixed race couples and the scene of an american collegue playing with her thali made me think about the essential factor required for forging a life long partnership. At the end of the day, it is not culture, color, creed that is going to forge a long lasting bond.. it is Trust and Respect. Besides the basic need to be loved and to love, one would want to marry a person who can walk his/her talk. One who stands by his/her words and weather the storm that will rage in one's life every now and then. Whats the point in a woman/man marrying somebody from similar family background if he/she cannot respect the other person ?. One should choose a person with whom one will feel safe to leave his/her kids behind in case of one's unexpected untimely death...dont you think ?.