The study of marital strengths in enduring marriages is conceptually in its formative stage. Further exploratory research may help to focus more clearly on key concepts and their interrelationships. A study was conducted of 15 couples who had been married for between 35 and 48 years. The husbands' ages ranged from 55 to 70 and the wives' ages ranged from 54 to 67. Subjects were for the most part highly educated and had a high socioeconomic level. All couples had at least one child. Unstructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with each spouse separately. All subjects also completed the Marital Comparison Level Index. Data analysis suggests that the following characteristics were key elements of enduring marriages: intimacy, autonomy, commitment, congruence, religious faith, and communication. Supporting characteristics included time together, time alone, shared interests and activities, family orientation, support, mutuality, interdependence, caring, respect, trust, and positive regard. The results suggest a high degree of variability in such areas as intimacy, commitment, and adaptability. The variability in satisfaction over time suggests support for the curvilinearity of marital satisfaction. Many respondents indicated that they felt closer to each other as the demands of parenting and careers lessened, indicating that the relationship between length of marriage and satisfaction may not be solely an artifact of less satisfying marriages ending in divorce. (NB)