Relationships Talk

According to Candace Cameron Bure, the key to her and former hockey player Valeri Bure’s 22-year-long marriage involves giving each other the benefit of the doubt—no matter what. “I always say, put your spouse on a pedestal,” she told Us Weekly. “Some days neither of us deserve it, but we do it because we honor one another and respect each other.”

The Fuller House actress, who married Bure in 1996, is the first to admit that this isn’t always easy. “Marriage is a wonderful, beautiful thing but there’s always going to be tough times. There’s no one that has this amazingly perfect marriage,” she continued.

Related: Candace Cameron Bure Says She’ll “Shut Down” the Dance Floor at Bob Saget’s Wedding

The key to getting “back on the upswing” and coming out of periods of conflict stronger, she says, is all about patience and determination: “You just hang in there and stick with it.” This attitude is especially important for the longtime couple, who, due to grueling work schedules, are often required to spend time apart. But there are advantages to this, too, admits the actress. “I travel a lot, that’s the secret! Because, you know, being away from each other makes the heart grow fonder,” she said.

Today, the duo continues to “honor one another and respect each other, “which often means prioritizing their relationship in the midst of raising three children and juggling their respective careers—they achieve a “good balance” through regular date nights, in addition to creating space for family time, she revealed.