Relationship Success Is In Your Photos

Your friend has a camera and it's time to take a group shot.

You are rushing to gain a prominent spot. You perk up and lean in and hold your stomach and smile.

It appears that the intensity of smiles captured in photos may actually predict if you will get married but end up joining the Divorce Club.

A LiveScience study found that how much people smile in old photographs can predict the success of a marriage. The study used yearbook photos to discern the strength in two muscles -- one that pulls up on the mouth and one that creates wrinkles around the eyes.

The research found that people who frown in photos are five times more likely to get a divorce than people who smile.

After reading that part, I rushed to my closet to pull out old photos. Heck, my yearbook is at my mother's house but I still have plenty of photos to check out my smile and his because I'm divorced.

The study says that smiling represents a positive disposition toward life. People who smile tend to attract friends or a larger network that may actually contribute to a healthier marriage. Hmmmm.

It also found that people who smile when photographers tell them to may have more obedient personalities and this could be a personality trait that would make a marriage easier.

Wow!

So back to those photos. I started by looking at some childhood photos of me. Oh, I'm cheesy cheese cheesin' and posing.

A few photos from high school and college show a more lady-like smile. I'm smiling but this must be my sexy smile. It is my head-high, but-slightly-tilted-and-shoulders back smile.

In family photos, I'm hugging, posing and smiling. I can feel the love.

And then there's the wedding photos. The photo is of us cutting the cake. Whew! I'm cheesed up.

I'm smiling. My cheekbones are karate-kick high, but the person in the photo with me has a slight grin.

Don't get me wrong the photo is nice.

Shoot, it's really nice but he is not smiling as much as me. When the photographer said, "And a 1 and a 2 and a 3," he was not obedient. Was that a sign?

Did that photo yell, "Ms. Karate Kick High Cheekbones, you will be divorced in a few years?"

But I kept looking at photos. My smile. His. My smile. His. My smile. His.

And I can't lie and heck what's the use. On some, he is a bit more cheesin', but for the most part it is about half and half.

With the photos of me, it looks as if I'm trying to win the the crown for Cheesy Cheese Cheesin'.

There are many studies and they say all sorts of things. For some reason, this one is making me a believer in the why-did-someone-actually-pay for that type of research.

Go ahead and grab your older photos. You know you want to see if you smiled.

You also may want to see older photos of that special someone in your life.

If you don't believe this research has any merit at least you can find out if the person you have eyes for and may be preparing to give your heart to has a nice smile.

Tell me your thoughts here or e-mail me at choosingmrwrong@gmail.com.