Every marriage is a mystery to me, even the one I'm in. So I'm no

Hear, O listeners of the ages, the words of Hillary Clinton, spoken with humility drawn from long years of both triumph and trial: “Every marriage is a mystery to me, even the one I'm in. So I'm no expert on it.” In this saying lies not only the confession of a woman who has walked the turbulent road of public and private life, but also the wisdom that marriage, no matter how examined, remains an enigma of the heart, never fully solved nor mastered.

The meaning is profound: human relationships, especially the bond of marriage, are not mechanical structures that yield to formulas or rules. They are living, shifting forces, filled with contradictions, joys, sorrows, forgiveness, and renewal. To call marriage a “mystery” is to admit that no matter how closely one studies it—even from the inside—its essence remains beyond complete understanding. This is not failure but recognition, for the greatest truths of life are often those that cannot be fully explained, only lived.

The origin of Clinton’s words lies in her own life, a union tested in the fires of public scrutiny. Her marriage to Bill Clinton, celebrated and criticized alike, endured trials that might have shattered others. Infidelity, scandal, and the unrelenting gaze of the world pressed upon their bond, yet it did not collapse. And in acknowledging the mystery, she reveals the paradox of her own experience: though she has lived within marriage’s heart, she claims no mastery over its secrets. For love, endurance, and forgiveness are not sciences—they are mysteries woven of spirit and will.

History too offers examples that echo her truth. Consider Queen Victoria and Prince Albert: their marriage was celebrated as a model of devotion, yet behind the palace walls were tensions of will and personality, quarrels as sharp as their love was deep. When Albert died, Victoria mourned for decades, her grief consuming her life. Who among us could claim to understand fully such a union—its joys, its sorrows, its strange durability? Like Clinton, Victoria’s story testifies that even those who live within marriage cannot wholly comprehend it.

There is also wisdom in Clinton’s refusal to call herself an “expert.” In an age where many seek certainty and simple answers, her humility stands as a warning: beware those who claim absolute knowledge of the human heart. To admit mystery is to honor the depth of love and the unpredictability of human beings. It is to recognize that each marriage is its own creation, a story unlike any other, written by two souls whose choices cannot be repeated nor reduced to mere advice.

The lesson, children of tomorrow, is this: approach marriage not as a puzzle to be solved once for all, but as a journey to be walked daily, with awe, patience, and courage. Do not expect to understand every twist of your partner’s heart, nor to find formulas that guarantee success. Instead, embrace the mystery as part of its beauty. For what is love if not the continual discovery of another soul, and the continual rediscovery of one’s own?

So live wisely. Honor the enigma of marriage, whether your own or that of others. Do not judge hastily, for you cannot see the mysteries within another’s union. Tend to your own with humility, patience, and grace, knowing that even confusion and struggle are part of its hidden design. And above all, remember that to love is not to master, but to walk in wonder, to endure in storms, and to rejoice in moments of light. For in this mystery lies one of the greatest adventures of the human spirit.