Marriage

Marriage. The biggest commitment you'll ever make. Like ever. How do you know they are "the one"? And what do you do if you make the commitment, and then decide they aren't? And if you do, is it okay?

Most people now make the commitment, and then want out. It’s what our society tells us is okay. “Get married. If you don’t like it, you can just get divorced. It’s not a big deal.” How did our nation go from valuing marriage more than anything, to setting it aside and telling generations of young people that if they don’t like it they can just get rid of it? It can’t be a transition that happened over night, and how do we fix it? 

I'll be honest, I'm part of this demographic of divorced Americans. Don't get me wrong. I value marriage. I value it SO MUCH, but divorce is also something that I am very grateful for. I feel like I have a unique perspective on this. I'm a young (26) Latter Day Saint woman, who values marriage, and also values divorce. 

These two things CAN, in fact, live in harmony inside of one person. It was actually something that I struggled with for quite awhile. How to be okay with my divorced-ness, but still want and value an eternal marriage more than anything. Then I realized. I can value both. Life is messy. Its full of emotions that are scary, and sad, and happy. Sometimes the best parts of life are when you give up trying to make sense of it, and lean into the messy emotions. Sometimes surrendering that control can be scary, but I have found, for myself, that the best rewards come after the scariest times in life. The times you are the happiest, are the times that you come out of the fire, injured and beaten, vulnerable and broken-hearted, and decide to keep fighting.