I ran to my marriage, I was happily ready to take on marriage.

"I ran to my marriage, I was happily ready to take on marriage." – Mark Ruffalo

In these heartfelt words, Mark Ruffalo, the actor known for his humility and depth of spirit, reveals a truth both rare and beautiful in an age of hesitation. When he said, “I ran to my marriage, I was happily ready to take on marriage,” he spoke not only of personal joy, but of courage — the courage to love without fear, to commit without retreat, and to embrace the sacred bond of marriage not as a burden, but as a calling. His words resound with the wisdom of one who understands that love, when grounded in readiness and reverence, becomes not a cage but a liberation.

The origin of this quote lies in Ruffalo’s reflection on his union with his wife, Sunrise Coigney, a partnership that has endured through decades of life’s changes, joys, and trials. In a world where many approach love with caution, or flee from commitment under the weight of uncertainty, Ruffalo’s declaration is one of embrace. To run toward marriage is to choose it with eagerness, not fear; with devotion, not doubt. It is to recognize that marriage, like all worthy endeavors, demands the full participation of one’s heart.

The ancients spoke often of union as the noblest of all human bonds. They saw marriage not merely as the joining of two bodies, but as the merging of destinies — a sacred covenant in which two souls pledge to walk through life as one. To run toward such a union, as Ruffalo did, is to honor that sacredness. It is to step boldly into love’s unknown territory with faith, believing that joy and growth await within it. For those who fear marriage, love becomes a shadow; but for those who run to it, love becomes a sunrise.

Consider the story of Odysseus and Penelope, the ancient symbols of fidelity and endurance. Though years of separation and hardship tested their bond, Odysseus never ceased longing for the home and heart he had chosen. He did not flee his marriage — he ran toward it, across seas and storms, toward the woman who waited steadfastly. His journey mirrors Ruffalo’s sentiment: that love worth having is love worth running toward. Those who are ready to love deeply and truly will not walk slowly toward devotion — they will run, for they recognize that to love is to fulfill the greatest part of life’s purpose.

To be happily ready for marriage, as Ruffalo declares, is to understand that readiness is not perfection but willingness. One may not know what storms the future holds, but the heart that is prepared to love will face them with grace. Marriage, like life, demands growth, sacrifice, and renewal. Yet when one enters it with open arms and joyful intent, it ceases to be a confinement and becomes instead a garden — a place where two souls cultivate patience, forgiveness, and trust.

This readiness is not born of haste but of wisdom. Many run away from love out of fear — fear of loss, of vulnerability, of imperfection. But Ruffalo’s words remind us that true readiness means having faced those fears and found peace in surrender. It is the courage to give and to receive, to trust that love, when chosen freely, will strengthen rather than diminish the self. To run toward marriage is to run toward growth, toward service, toward the profound discovery of another soul — and, in that discovery, to find oneself anew.

So, my children of the heart, remember this teaching: do not walk timidly toward love; run with joy toward what is right and true. When your soul recognizes its companion, do not delay behind the walls of doubt. Marriage, like all great acts of love, is not sustained by fear, but by faith. Choose your love wisely — but once chosen, run toward it with all the energy of your being. Meet the sacred covenant with eagerness, not reluctance. For those who enter love joyfully will find that it, in turn, rejoices in them.

In the end, Mark Ruffalo’s words echo a timeless truth: “I ran to my marriage, I was happily ready to take on marriage.” Love, when approached with courage and readiness, does not bind — it frees. It turns two hearts into a shared rhythm, two lives into a single journey. And when one runs toward love with joy, life itself runs toward them in blessing, for the soul that chooses love with open arms has already found its truest home.