This is a question that I find interesting. Marriage means so many different things to different people. Before I was married, when I thought about it, my idea of "marriage" was partnership. It meant never having to feel alone, work through things alone, or take care of things alone. It meant...togetherness. It meant never having to worry about your partner tearing you down, or trying to make your accomplishments seem like nothing. Obviously, different people have different ideas on what marriage should be.
Over the years, with friends getting married and coming across different couples from all walks of life...it's obvious the the idea sits on a wiiiiiiide range. For instance, it has amazed me that some people find it perfectly acceptable to keep up with their, ahem, "extra curricular" activities. Or, that some men are still so stuck in 1952, that they expect their wives to handle the household duties and children on their own, while still managing to look nice and wait on them hand and foot. Helloooo, June Cleaver called. She wants her home life back. Annnnd, you can have it, June.
I think when it comes down to it, the varying ideas of marriage are what leads to so many divorces. I mean, who goes into a marriage thinking "Man! I can't wait to get divorced!"? No one that I know. I just think that so many couples abandon this vital question before taking the plunge. Result? Unhappy marriage. Eventual divorce. No fun for anyone.
So what does marriage mean to you? If you're married, are you and your spouse on the same page? If you're not married, is not finding someone who shares your idea keeping you from taking the plunge?
Married. Def. NOT on the same page. Hubby has no idea what the word family or marriage means. We come from two different sides of the street. My parents have been married for 42 years. I lived in he same house from the time I was 3 until, well...NOW! I had a very close relationship with both of my parents. Family is my life. It's all I know. He on the otherhand...parents divorced when he was 3. He lived with his mom and stepdad who were both druggies. Stepdad was abusive. Mom was and still is manipulative and deceitful. While his dad and stepmom have been married 20 years, he didn't see them much as a child, so the family foundation was not instilled in him. It makes it VERY hard for us as a couple and a family.
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