Hm, just speaking from my own experience, the following are a good start:
1. Respect: don't treat her like she's inferior
2. If you make promises, keep them. If you don't plan on keeping them, don't make them. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Trite, I know, but it shows that you're trustworthy. In the end, your word is all you really have.
3. Don't cheat, physically or emotionally.
4. Be fair. Don't have one set of rules for her and one set of rules for yourself
5. Time: if your friends and acquaintances are more important than she is, or if you spend waay more time with them WITHOUT her than you do with her, it can cause hurt feelings. We want to be included, too. If we didn't want to spend time with you, we wouldn't be with you. If you want someone who'll give you affection, that you can leave at home, get a cat.
6. If there are problems, work them out. Talk about them before they become worse than they are. Running away or ignoring them just makes them worse.
7. A sense of humor. as long as you can joke and laugh, there's hope.
8. Treat her well. Appreciate the things she does for you, be considerate, and don't take her for granted. If she can't deal with that, and if she doesn't return the consideration, she doesn't deserve you in the first place.
9. Remember significant days: anniversaries, birthdays, mother's day if she's got kids. It shows that you care enough to remember. It always amazes me that men who can't remember those days can remember every stat from their favorite sports team for the last ten years...
10. Help Around The House: You don't know how many men I've known whose wives work too, and are then expected to keep house and kids without any help from the sperm donor.
Of course, I'm the bitter one,
, so....
Sidhe