Is Marriage Becoming A Joke?

Divorce. Some of the hottest names in Hollywood from Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian and Ashton Kutcher are doing it, and it hasn’t been pretty. With so many celebrities getting married, separated and divorced in such a short amount of time, it makes me wonder (in true Carrie Bradshaw fashion) – is marriage becoming a joke?

With over 50% of the population ending their marriages, it’s no wonder that we no longer see the big deal. Forget through sickness and health, cross out that whole ‘til death do you part section- marriage is a contract you get to end whenever you want by signing a paper and checking off irreconcilable differences. In most states, irreconcilable differences is the accepted ground for a no fault divorce. Courts rarely inquire into what the differences actually are, and will happily grant a divorce as long as the party seeking it says the couple has “said” differences.

But don’t we all have disparities sometimes? Isn’t the beauty of marriage supposed to be that promise of sticking it out together to the very end? They say that love is blind but shouldn’t we be putting a little more thought and effort into our relationships, especially when such a big commitment is involved?

When it comes down to it, love isn’t a piece of paper, a ceremony, a pretty dress or a piece of expensive jewelry. Why these “things” are even valued when it comes to how we “feel” is already a mystery. True love is a rare understanding between two people, and even then it’s impossible to predict if that bond will last forever, as much as both parties might want it to. It’s hard to realize that unfortunately life can get in the way of love because it can so easily be pushed aside when other things come along that we have to deal with. Many act as if they are fleeing the scene of a crime when things start going wrong, instead of going back to the beginning and remembering why it was they chose this one person amongst the rest to spend all their time with.

Love is real but it’s not some magical fairy tale. We are not princes, princesses, knights and damsels. We are complex individuals hoping for something more, something bigger than ourselves, but what we don’t realize is that in order to have something great, we must be willing to work at it. This is a discussion that should be had before anyone is down on one knee to make sure that both parties are eternally up for the challenge.

What if you don’t feel quite ready to take the big plunge? Then don’t. Many people are re-evaluating their thoughts on marriage, and it’s better to know what you want now then to figure it out once it’s too late. Stop stressing about the future and what the next step in a relationship should be and start thinking about making today with that special someone meaningful.

- Jennifer Marvel
JenMarvel.com

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February 10th, 2012 | Mara | Comments Off |