Former Grey’s Anatomy actor Patrick Dempsey (often referred to by his onscreen nickname, McDreamy) was on the path to divorce from his wife Jillian, who filed in early 2015, but it seems that the couple has reconciled and won’t be splitting up after all!

In an interview with the British magazine ES, Patrick opened up a bit about the strain on the relationship, focusing on the important things, and making sacrifices for the good of his family.

Outside of his acting career, which included multiple television roles and film appearances, Patrick is an avid auto racing enthusiast – a hobby that became a full-fledged professional career for several years. The demanding schedule, however, took a toll on the marriage, and Patrick’s racing “obsession” was among the reasons cited for Jillian’s divorce filing.

Now, with the apparent reconciliation with his wife, Patrick told ES that, “you have to work at everything, and you cannot do everything. Something has to be sacrificed.”

After a great season in 2015, Patrick has taken most of the 2016 racing season off to focus on his family, including rebuilding the relationship with his wife. Jillian and Patrick parent a daughter and twin sons, and he says where he was putting 110% into racing, “Now it’s time to put that personal philosophy into my kids, allowing them to find their goals, their passions.”

This idea that “you have to work at everything” is an important takeaway here – as well as the lesson that if you want your marriage to remain intact (or rebuild it, in Patrick’s case), you have to focus that work on the relationship and the family. It’s a matter of priority and what you’re willing to sacrifice to make the marriage work.

Court documents show that the divorce has stalled, and the couple – who married in 1999 – seems to be back on track, at least partially due to Patrick’s reprioritizing… And sacrifice.

Relationships take work, especially when careers and other interests can pull you away from one another, eat up time, and demand your attention. We can all take a cue from Mr. Dempsey and examine our priorities, where we’re spending our time and energy, and how those efforts are helping or hurting our relationships. It’s not too late to get your marriage back on track, but to do so, you have to make it a major focus – each and every day.

For more advice on how to strengthen your marriage, check out the StrongMarriageNow System today!
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Dr. Dana Fillmore and Amy Barnhart, co-Founders, StrongMarriageNow.com