Marriage is a reflection of your life in general: how you treat people how you argue how secure you are in your own thoughts. How vehemently do you argue your point of view? With what disdain do you view the other's point of view?
My dad was vehemently opposed to electric guitars. He did not look on that kind of music as legitimate in any way.
It is old age rather than death that is to be contrasted with life. Old age is life's parody whereas death transforms life into a destiny: in a way it preserves it by giving it the absolute dimension. Death does away with time.