Today I was thinking about marriage. I haven't been married long, just about a year and a half, so I'm hardly an expert on the subject.
We got married fairly young, especially by today's standards. I was only 23. Ha! I say "only" as if it were eons ago and now I am so much older and wiser! Regardless; we dated for about 3 years before we got married and I knew it was coming long before we actually did tie the knot.
Now I may be young and practically newlywedded, but I'm not living in some fantasy world where I think it will always be this good. ~50% of marriages fail. It would be pretty egotistical of me to think that my marriage is immune to that. What makes some marriages more susceptible to divorce? Is it circumstance or personality, or a combination?
I dont think there is any specific formula for a successful marriage.
-Some people have an arranged marriage and do fine. Other people date for years; some end up happy and some don't.
-Some people share the same interests and that keeps them strong; some find strength in their individuality.
I think perhaps what makes a successful marriage is part luck, part compromise and part adaptation. People change, bad things happen, luck can sour. If you and your partner can roll with the punches, you are giving your marriage the best chance to survive.
On a semi-related note: why is there so much pressure to BE married? Most of my friends are single and they are in the thick of guilt trips from other friends and family to pair up. Why does the government give married couples tax breaks? Why is 30 the end of your life if you aren't married yet? Why does our society lead people to believe they are unfulfilled if they don't have a life partner? Why does single = lonely? Do you buy into that?
Honestly, I didn't exactly plan to be married at all, let alone at such a young age. I wasn't going to wait around for some guy to complete me. I had my own plans, and was in the smack-dab in the middle of implementing them when I met my husband in college. What are ya gonna do? Roll with the punches, of course.
We got married fairly young, especially by today's standards. I was only 23. Ha! I say "only" as if it were eons ago and now I am so much older and wiser! Regardless; we dated for about 3 years before we got married and I knew it was coming long before we actually did tie the knot.
Now I may be young and practically newlywedded, but I'm not living in some fantasy world where I think it will always be this good. ~50% of marriages fail. It would be pretty egotistical of me to think that my marriage is immune to that. What makes some marriages more susceptible to divorce? Is it circumstance or personality, or a combination?
I dont think there is any specific formula for a successful marriage.
-Some people have an arranged marriage and do fine. Other people date for years; some end up happy and some don't.
-Some people share the same interests and that keeps them strong; some find strength in their individuality.
I think perhaps what makes a successful marriage is part luck, part compromise and part adaptation. People change, bad things happen, luck can sour. If you and your partner can roll with the punches, you are giving your marriage the best chance to survive.
On a semi-related note: why is there so much pressure to BE married? Most of my friends are single and they are in the thick of guilt trips from other friends and family to pair up. Why does the government give married couples tax breaks? Why is 30 the end of your life if you aren't married yet? Why does our society lead people to believe they are unfulfilled if they don't have a life partner? Why does single = lonely? Do you buy into that?
Honestly, I didn't exactly plan to be married at all, let alone at such a young age. I wasn't going to wait around for some guy to complete me. I had my own plans, and was in the smack-dab in the middle of implementing them when I met my husband in college. What are ya gonna do? Roll with the punches, of course.
