by Michelle Loewer

Created on: May 30, 2008

When I said "I Do."

Before getting married, both my husband and I thought long and hard about what we were getting ourselves into. We had been dating for several years and we already had a child together. Both of us knew that our decision to get married would not only affect us, we also needed to think about our child's future. We loved each other with our whole heart and soul, but with marriages ending as easily as they do these days, we needed to make sure that we could truly mean "Until death do us part."

To be honest, the decision came very easy to us. We knew everything there was to know about one another before getting married.... good and bad. So by the time the wedding rolled around, we both knew that this was it. We were in it for the long haul. We both promised to love each other through good times and bad and in sickness and in heath, and so far, we have been true to our promise.

As in any relationship, we have been through our fair share of lows. We know that nothing in life is perfect and marriage is not easy, but we are willing to work hard to make it work. Honesty and trust are key factors in a marriage, and thankfully we have both.

I think that people today have a false perception of marriage. Unfortunately, this is why the divorce rate is so high. I think people believe in the "fairy-tale" marriage where everything is perfect. I think that some people get into marriage as a problem solver. They feel that if they get married their problems will magically disappear. What they don't stop to realize is that now instead of having just their problems to worry about, now they have to deal with their partners baggage too.

I also think that couples are getting married just to have the wedding they always dreamed of. Every girl dreams about their wedding day; the dress, the flowers, and everything else that comes along with it. But once the wedding is over, they realize that they are stuck with this person that they married for the rest of their lives. They were so wrapped up with "getting married" that they didn't think about anything else.

Forever is a long time, and finding that special person to share it with is not easy. Marriage is a long term commitment that does not need to be taken lightly. Couples need to really think long and hard about what they are getting into when they decide to get married. They need to understand that it is not an easy thing. Being married takes patience and understanding, but most of all there needs to be love; A love so strong that you could not imagine living without it.

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