All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Soaps.com may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Marlena has been through the ringer the last few years on Days of Our Lives. And it’s only gotten worse as she’s lost the love of her life, John, wrestled with mysterious health issues (is it really Lyme disease?) and is now crushed under the guilt of Rachel’s mental health problems. So you could understand if Marlena was growing tired and worn down. Fortunately, the same definitely can’t be said about Deidre Hall!

More: Is EJ bringing [spoiler] back?

Being on Days of Our Lives has been a dream come true, the actress tells Woman’s World. “I raised my children on the Days of Our Lives stages,” she says, “and coming back to the same place, the same dressing room, the same people . . . it’s replenishing.”

It’s been replenishing and rewarding, we’re sure, as Marlena has not only become a Salem institution herself, but Hall’s pretty consistently thrust into front-burner stories.

As for whether she plans on retiring anytime soon, Hall simply tells Woman’s World, “You’ll have to drag me out of there. As much of the job is about loving what I do, it’s also about the people with whom I get to do it. It’s such a team, from [executive producer] Ken Corday to our hair, makeup and wardrobe teams. He’s a family man, and it’s a family company. It’s just the best way to work.”

And that’s about the best news we could ask for! We know Marlena’s left Salem from time to time, but after all these years, we simply can’t imagine the town, nor the show, without her anymore. With that said, we are hoping that sooner or later Marlena is allowed to find happiness once again.

From demonic possession, to kidnapping and “dying” and losing John after all of it, Marlena hasn’t had a whole lot to be thankful for in recent memory. Still, though, she always has her friends and her family by her side as she gets through it all.

And, as they say: It’s always darkest before dawn. Hopefully, Marlena will soon get her new dawn — and can then live basking in the Salem sunshine until the very end!