divine1966 provided some really important information, in my view. No one should ever feel they are "settling" for something that they aren't 100% sure of.

I definitely know many long-term happy marriages. I've been with my husband for about 23 years, and never ever wanted to quit him, for more than maybe 15 minutes. And that was while we were dating over 21 years ago. Definitely when we married, I was 110% sure I wanted to be with him forever. Ditto for him. Of course many couples may feel like that and yet still stuff happens further down the pike, but I think it's less likely if both in a couple have a certain attitude about relationships. What makes my marriage strong is that we understand each others weaknesses and bad points, but find them small potatoes when looking at the big picture. Sure, there were numerous things that annoyed me about my husband and definitely vice versa. But again, they were very small potatoes in the long run. But sometimes couples are tested when not so small potatoes come up. And they do. That's where the strength of the love and dedication is crucial.

My husband has been known to hold grudges against people, but never against me. I almost never hold grudges, and can't imagine holding a grudge against my husband. I don't like to fight, and yet I don't hold things in, either. That's definitely helpful in our relationship. Also, I tend to "give in" more than he does. Yes, that sometimes sucks, but it helps keep peace. And frankly, I usually don't mind "giving in" in the long run, anyway. I'm a laissez faire type person who makes the most of whatever situation comes my way. However, when I am extremely firm on something, my husband does give in. That's the beauty of our give and take. There isn't really a one-sidedness to our relationship, in my view. I feel our contributions are mostly equal, in the long run.

A great thing about my husband and me is that we are independent-minded and generally self-confident types. I'm probably even more self-confident than him. We respect that in each other. It allows us a certain freedom and yet we always WANT to be together because being together enriches our lives.

I was 26 when I married my husband. I am his second wife. He was 38 when he married me. So you being 28 is not exactly missing the boat on a potential long-term loving relationship. My husband often tells me I'm much easier to live with than his first wife. I can imagine I am, even despite my mental health issues.