What's Happened to Marriage?

Have you ever experienced something and thought "what's the deal?" ? Sometimes you just think that people are so clueless about life or maybe its me. I know a guy whose wife has cheated on him pretty much since they were married. They have divorced, reconciled, divorced, reconciled and now divorced again. I just want to pop him in the head and yell "What's the deal?" . He seems to be a really nice guy and truthfully no one deserves to be treated like that by their spouse. When you take your vows you say for better or for worse AND forsaking all others as long as you both shall live. That's not optional. I am so sick of hearing people talk about affairs like its nothing. These are the same people who have probably never had a meaningful relationship in their lives.

I have been married for fifteen years to a wonderful man who is so good to me. We are happy and get along great. I also know where he is all the time and the same could be said of me by him. I have a friend though who has never been in a real relationship for more than a couple of years and has cheated on everyone she has ever been with who insists that all men cheat, and I should be on the look out for the signs. I told her that if I had to walk around worried about him cheating all the time then I wouldn't be married to him anymore. Do we have the perfect relationship? Of course not, but its great for us.

I think it is possible for two people to meet on the street one day and decide to get married that afternoon, and stay married, happily for the rest of their lives. All that it takes for a happy marriage is for both people to decide that they want to be married and to be willing to put forth the effort to make that happen. Both people not just one. That does mean sacrifice and compromise on both parts and having an argument over a shirt isn't really grounds for divorce.

It seems that couples, especially women, are so concerned about their "perfect wedding" that they don't even consider that its only going to last for a few hours on one day and they have the rest of their lives to spend with this person. A wedding isn't about being a princess, or having a fairytale, or showing off how much money you can spend its about joining lives together and spending the rest of your life with this person.

There is a local radio personality who got married a few years ago, she was so adamant about not having in overweight people in her wedding party because she didn't want to throw off the balance of the wedding photos. Now that is definitely an important part of marriage, balancing the wedding photos. You guessed it she is now divorced. Maybe she should have put as much effort into the marriage as she did her photos.

I know I sound old fashioned but I think that people give up to easily and maybe their should be some kind of classes you have to take and a test you have to pass before you can get married. Children should be raised in steady, happy homes. Not being shuttled back and forth between mom and dad and their spouses of the month.

Please don't take this wrong, I am well aware that there are perfectly good grounds for divorce, and I am not against divorce. I am against people that get married so that they can have a 'fairytale" and be a princess and get presents and spend lots of money, then divorce when the reality of life sets in.

Life is not a fairytale, and I for one am glad of that.