What is marriage all about?

Marriage is a wonderful commitment some people decide to take and looks different for every couple.  With divorce rates so high in today’s society, it can be helpful to think about what marriage is all about.  First and foremost, marriage is all about a commitment between the people that decide to marry. The commitment can look different between each couple, but commitment is at the core of marriage.  Commitment comes with its own set of obligations.  Again, the couple can decide what obligations fit right for their marriage rather than being pressured by society.  For example, some couples will set an obligation towards sleeping in the same room in their home. In contrast, some couples might set an obligation towards being okay with sleeping in separate rooms.  Also, marriage includes certain obligations around the family.  From having their own family to the connection between their families, marriage includes obligations around family. 

Marriage is a commitment made between the people getting married, and it is also a public declaration of their relationship.  Once married, it is typical for people in the spouse’s lives to know about their marriage, and even the government will be notified of their relationship.  This can add to the power of the relationship because other people will seem to care about it rather than just the married people. 

Like with any commitment, marriage comes with plenty of low moments and moments of making mistakes.  It is important to accept that going into marriage because having the idea that your marriage will be perfect will set you up for failure.  On that same note, marriage should come with the ability to admit when you have made a mistake so that you and your spouse can grow through the mistakes.  It will be important to accept that there will likely be some sexual limitations in your marriage and that it is okay for that to look different than other couples, you know.  For example, if other couples you know are monogamous in their marriages, that does not mean that you have to be, but it just means that you need to come up with specific guidelines around what the sexual side of your marriage will look like.