“For better or for worse, in sickness and in health.” These are not the typical loophole filled vows. They do not leave room for mistakes or misunderstandings. I believe that people being ‘joined in holy matrimony’ are unaware of this. Nowadays, more than half the nation’s marriages end in divorce. Soon to be newlyweds don’t usually worry about this because they think, even if it is unconsciously, there is always divorce, the easy ‘escape’.
As a child from a broken and ruined marriage, I have seen both sides of every argument. I have seen my mother alone and struggling to make ends meet. I have watched my father recover from substance abuse and remarry. But I have yet to see something that even compares, in quality, to the times before my parents’ divorce. I am aware what people think of my opinion, ‘it’s biased, and she’s just coming from a bad divorce.’ No, what they mean is, she has come from a divorce, period because there are no ‘good divorces’. There is nothing ‘good’ about splitting your belongings, your home, and your children.
I have heard the excuses: abuse, infidelity, irreconcilable differences… I find it hard to believe someone could not be aware of these issues before a marriage. These couples give up too easily, how dare they say they have tried their hardest? Surely every obstacle they face is just a test on how strongly they have committed to their vows.
These couples are not considering how their ‘break-up’ might affect not only their children, but their whole family. Mother-in-laws once deep conversations quickly become awkward bump-ins at the supermarket or maybe even rude gestures. Divorces are tearing families apart. Why present a gift of love if you are only going to snatch it back when least expected?
As a child from a broken and ruined marriage, I have seen both sides of every argument. I have seen my mother alone and struggling to make ends meet. I have watched my father recover from substance abuse and remarry. But I have yet to see something that even compares, in quality, to the times before my parents’ divorce. I am aware what people think of my opinion, ‘it’s biased, and she’s just coming from a bad divorce.’ No, what they mean is, she has come from a divorce, period because there are no ‘good divorces’. There is nothing ‘good’ about splitting your belongings, your home, and your children.
I have heard the excuses: abuse, infidelity, irreconcilable differences… I find it hard to believe someone could not be aware of these issues before a marriage. These couples give up too easily, how dare they say they have tried their hardest? Surely every obstacle they face is just a test on how strongly they have committed to their vows.
These couples are not considering how their ‘break-up’ might affect not only their children, but their whole family. Mother-in-laws once deep conversations quickly become awkward bump-ins at the supermarket or maybe even rude gestures. Divorces are tearing families apart. Why present a gift of love if you are only going to snatch it back when least expected?
No comments:
Post a Comment