Not for everyone

My 26 year old daughter and I talked marriage and children the other day. It's a difficult topic for me because I have learned so much I want to be fair-minded and not show favoritism towards any choice. I know she values her alone time even as she concedes things continue to go well with her boyfriend who I very much like 

It must be said that marriage isn't for everyone except that we can sometimes only discover that along the way. Most in my generation looked at the formula of our parents and automatically followed suit only to later find out about half of us had chosen adequately. Transgender people ended up with an added layer of complexity just for good measure and realized along the way how rocky things could sometimes be. 

I have a very expansive view of the topic and told my daughter that friendship is the foundation which must exist from the outset. Would you be friends without the romantic feelings which will eventually be doused with daily reality? I feel that this is mandatory. 

Also, the authenticity of each partner cannot be smothered otherwise frustration builds as does resentment. This is something I wish I knew before although I was not ready at the time to accept who I was. 

I view the whole topic with some detachment now and dealing with people who are living with the daily ups and downs of these unions, helps keep my feet firmly on the ground and any return of illusory thinking far away from my psyche