Married with Children
By AJ Beson
The sanctity of marriage is a tattered concept into today’s consumer culture. Divorce statistics have been described as staggering for decades. The numbers currently state that 50% of marriages end in divorce; a clearer picture of divorce in America breaks the stats down based on number of marriages per individual. First marriages have a 45-50% chance of ending in divorce, second marriages a 60-67% chance and third marriages a 70-73% chance. In fact, for mothers under 30, single is the new norm. That stat recently crossed a threshold with the majority of moms under 30 being unmarried.
Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes divorce is the only option. I understand every relationship is completely different and by no means, do I mean any offense. That being said, from a cultural standpoint, marriage simply isn’t viewed as it once was.
I think our celebrity-obsessed culture vilifies marriage to a certain extent. Hollywood seems to define forever in days rather than decades. We live in a society where marriage is under-minded. Many people approach marriage with the same nonchalance as dating. Several people walk down the aisle for the wrong reasons and plenty have no idea what is in store. Marriage takes work. It isn’t giving 50/50. It’s both partners each giving 100% on a continuous basis.
This makes me all the more proud to have recently celebrated 15 years of marriage. Tara and I met as students twenty years ago; she attended UNF and I was at Jacksonville University. It’s an amazing thing how a stranger evolves into an integral part of your family. How a leap of faith at age 20 for me and 19 for her has manifested into a loving family complete with four terrific daughters.
I can’t tell you how incredibly fortunate I am to have such a great wife. I am consistently amazed by her. She is the glue that holds our family together; she’s an incredible mother and my best friend. Sure, we have our ups and downs like any couple; yes, we have to work at it and keep the lines of communication open. But there is so much joy and comfort in a healthy, happy marriage. For me, the definition of love is considering the other person more than you consider yourself – giving them the last bite of your favorite ice cream, so to speak.
Tara takes great care of our family and of me. She’s supportive, we have a mutual respect for one another, and she gets my humor and still laughs at me – even though she’s heard every single joke. In fact, the only thing my marriage could use would be a little fresh material on my part. Have any good jokes? Send them my way. You can email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Who knows? You could be the one to help make our next 15 years as good as our first!