Mawidge

Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffim a dweam...
-The Princess Bride

Been thinking about that alot lately. I guess as a single 30 something woman, I am expected to. But what I have been thinking about would surprise most people (I think). In this day and age, marriage isn't seeming as appealing as it once was. With the divorce rate so high and so many of my friends miserbaly married, I am wondering....Why do it? Just today alone, I find myself watching Dr. Phil who throws out this scary statistic...1 out of 12 marriages will end within the first 24 months. YIKES! That is one flippin' frightening statistic! I knew the divorce rate was high, but less than 24 months...that is insane. I really know very few people who are "happily married" or at least pretend to be. You know, the people you see at a party that still seem to be in love, shooting each other little glances across the crowded room. Where are those people?
I was talking to my buddy Eric a couple weeks ago and commenting about how hard it is to date in your 30s. He had his usual words of wisdom, "Of course it is, every guy around your age is now either divorced or never married. You don't want the divorced guy because he is either bitter about marriage now and will never do it again, or the reason he is divorced. You don't want the never married guy because there is a reason for that." As a hopeless romantic, who has never married, I try to come to the rescue of marriage quoting all the cliches, like soul mates, someone to grow old with...."Wuv, True Wuv!!!" What about that? Is it wrong to think that maybe things actually do work out when and if you marry? Aren't there any people who are still truly in love 30 years later?
As a 30 something, I have recently found myself watching Sex and the City. This is a first run through for me because I am one of the only people in America without cable television. The cave just isn't wired for it. I find myself looking at these girls thinking, why are they dressed like that and their lifestyle does not seem that appealing either. Now mind you, I am only on season two, so if anyone gets married later in season 15 or something, don't ruin it, I'm not that far. It probably should appeal to me as a 30 something woman who is self confident, but it truly doesn't. Nor does an unhappy marriage.
Recently, when I was at the Scrapfest, I did notice that a couple of the instructors did refer to their husbands in high regard. Some even went so far as to call them their best friend. I found it so touching and wonderful that it gave me a beacon of hope. I also went to one of the nicest weddings I have ever attended last weekend for my cousin Gina and her new husband Shannon and again, I was given a small beacon. It was so nice to go to a wedding where people aren't secretly thinking, myself included, that this just ain't gonna last. Or where the bride just looks so miserably crabby and angry at the groom you are sure she will kill him on the honeymoon.
I actually saw Love, True Love!!
I just hope and pray that there really is such a thing, that marriage is still held in high regard to some people out there and that people really can be happy after 50 years of marriage.....I have seen Love and it looks something like this...