8 Life Lessons From Mary Kennedy's Untimely Death

The rich and famous are always in the spotlight. Their constant lack of privacy must be unimaginably awful for them, especially during moments when they long for privacy. That said, their lives can be lessons to us about how we all can avoid their tragedies.

The saddest case-in-point is Mary Kennedy, the 52-year-old mother of four and estranged second wife of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Mary hung herself in the barn behind her family home on May 17. It has been reported widely that her husband, 58 — now the companion of actress Cheryl Hines — wanted a divorce while she did not.

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Depending on whom you believe, Mary Kennedy had either always been an exceedingly troubled woman, or, she fell into a deep depression because her husband no longer loved her, and she was no longer welcome at the famous Kennedy Compound. Her friends say that her husband and his family became her entire life, leaving her with extreme emptiness when the marriage disintegrated.

At her funeral, her husband reportedly sobbed as he recounted their final conversation: "You know me better than anybody in the world. I was such a good girl," Mary Kennedy told him. Robert F. Kennedy responded, "I know. And you still are."

No one but the parties involved know the actual truths about the marital life of Robert and Mary Kennedy. However, there are eight life lessons from this tragedy that every woman should take to heart. 3 Simple Steps For Lasting Love

1. Get therapy. If you come from a troubled family, or you have the kind of demons that Kennedy has testified his wife endured, get therapy while you are young. Marriage itself, along with the birth of children, almost always bring any unfinished emotional business to the surface.

Early therapy will minimize this. Repeated therapy before marriage, or marriage in its early stages and before childbirth, will help enormously. 10 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Healthy Relationships

2. Don't try to be a "good girl." Women hope to please their beloved whenever possible. However, the goal in marriage is not to be a "good girl." Being a "good girl" means you only live to please another, as a child hopes to please a parent, in hopes they will not abandon him or her. Grown women must also know the importance of knowing who they are and pleasing themselves, as well.

3. Maintain your own interests. Regardless of how deeply you love your husband and children, work hard to have interests and involvements separate from them, based on your own needs and hobbies.

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4. Marriage doesn't always last. Recognize that there are no guarantees about married love. If your spouse no longer loves you, you can't change this.

More love advice from YourTango:

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• 10 Things Men Love About Women