Marriage

Today we live in a world where people are not really wanting to get married. This week, I want to explain a little bit of why marriage is so important and the benefits that come from it.

Just want to make this clear. I'm not married, not even close to it, haha! But I have observed some really special marriages (especially my parents) and the good things that come from them. I hope that some of my jumbled thoughts can help you understand how wonderful it is.

My parents.

Whenever I think of a good and healthy marriage, I think of my parents. They have always set the perfect example for me of what it should look like. Let me tell you a little bit of their story! My Dad is from British Columbia, Canada and my Mom is from Billings, Montana. They both met at BYU-Idaho University in 1996 through mutual friends. They kind of just hit it off and three months later they were engaged. Crazy right? Well, they both felt strongly it was right and knew they were meant to be together.

Planning for their wedding.

I'm sure you've heard the term "Bridezilla." Don't worry, my mom wasn't one of them. I was recently talking to her about this subject and she said that her mom would present her and my dad an idea, then they would decide together what they wanted. My mom made sure to keep my dad really involved in the whole process because she cared about what he wanted. I think that is such a brilliant way to plan a wedding. Both the man and woman should be involved in planning so they can learn how to work together, make decisions, and compromise. Another thing that I think is important to plan out is that my grandparents gave my parents five thousand dollars for the wedding. Doesn't really sound like a lot but it worked for them! My mom was able to find a dress for three hundred dollars, they had the reception in someones beautiful backyard, my grandma made the food and the cake costed about two hundred dollars. This taught them that you don't need much to have a good time! You can still make things fun and special without spending oodles of money. My parents were able to enjoy their day without stressing out because of money.

Their early marriage.

After the wedding, they went to DISNEYLAND for their honeymoon and had a blast. They soon came back to school, had jobs, and started their life together. They said that their first few months of marriage were great! I asked if they had any problems and they said they couldn't think of any (might have been because that was like twenty five years ago, haha.) They expressed their gratitude for talking about how they would handle things in a marriage before it even happened. They talked about how they would handle arguments, how they would raise their family, and things like finances. I think that's really smart to be on the same page before you even get into marriage because it just helps you in the long run!

Their involvement.

When my mom got pregnant with me, she was super, super sick. It was really hard for her and my dad but she made sure to always keep him involved. My dad was there at every check up and anything else my mom needed, he was there to support. I love that because I can see now how involved my dad is in each of his kids life and has a special connection with each of us just like my mom does. They always make sure to include each other on everything which has really helped their marriage the past twenty five years.

Conclusion.

Now I know that not all marriages are like this. My parents are pretty lucky, but I think the example they set is inspiring. I think you can always make a marriage good. It's not always going to be perfect but you learn and grow so much from the experience. You become more Christlike and compassionate towards your spouse, children, and even people around you. You learn to serve and become more like God. I hope to have a marriage that is centered on the Lord and always keep my husband involved in everything.