Here’s Why I Still Believe In Marriage

Finding the person I want to spend my life with, falling in love and eventually getting married is something I’ve always imagined doing in my life. I think marriage is a beautiful thing that should be taken seriously, and despite the rise of hookup culture and divorce rates, I still believe in it — here’s why:

1. Marriage doesn’t mean everything, but it does mean something. Despite the big turn society has taken — focusing more on hooking up than settling down — I still want to make that commitment with someone one day. I know that divorce rates keeping rising, but that doesn’t mean successful marriages don’t exist. Marriage isn’t an achievement, but it definitely means something big not only to the relationship but to the world at large.
2. I believe in love. I’m not a huge fan of hookup culture, and the main reason is because I still believe in love. I still believe that you can fall madly in love with someone and it can work out. Yes, love is scary because there’s always a chance of heartbreak, but when it’s real and two people are passionate about keeping the love alive, it can be a beautiful thing.
3. I think commitment is important. A lot of people argue that marriage isn’t really that important, especially if you’re already living together. But there’s a different type of commitment once you get married. You’re deciding to join lives with that person, to support them and love them and stay by their side through literally everything. Putting a ring on it really does mean sealing the deal, and someday I want a pretty little (or big) rock on my finger.
4. I’m not scared of being with one person for the rest of my life. Sexually, emotionally, physically — the thought of being with one man for the rest of my life doesn’t scare me. In fact, it excites me. There’s a type of deep bond and connection that develops as you invest in and love that other person. I want that — the friendship, the connection, the person who knows me better than anyone else and loves me for my whole life.
5. I believe two people can be faithful to each other. Sex is such a big factor in today’s society that it seems like it’s everywhere you look. In magazines, movies and on the radio, all you see and hear are people cheating on each other. I still think two people can be faithful to each other, physically and emotionally. I understand that some of the heat and passion is going to fade and that it’ll take work to keep the spark alive, but it’s possible for two people to be together for years and years and continue to choose that one person, and only them, over and over again.
6. It’s hard work, but anything worthwhile is. Relationships are hard work, yes, and that means marriages are even harder. There’s a lot more pressure when it comes to working out fights and learning how to communicate. There are also big decisions you have to make as a married couple, like how to manage your finances, whether you want a family and how you want to raise your children, where you’re going to live. These big decisions can cause stress, which can easily tear two people apart. I believe if both people are invested 100%, they can make it through the hard stuff. I want to find someone who wants to work through the hard stuff with me.
7. I’m willing to compromise for love and that’s half the battle. I think one of the biggest reasons marriages don’t last in today’s society like they used to is because people are becoming more and more selfish and aren’t willing to compromise. Every relationship takes compromise, especially a marriage when you bring two lives together as one. I understand that and am willing to compromise some of my desires for another person if that means increasing their happiness and having a successful relationship. I’ll never compromise my morals or standards, but if I need to move away from my family because he has an awesome job opportunity, I’d be willing to do that to support him.
8. If I’m naive, I can’t be the only one. If all of these beliefs I have about love and marriage really do make me naive, I just hope I find a guy who’s as blind as me — that way we can have a beautiful love that turns into a wonderful marriage. We can work hard and prove all the statistics wrong — that even in today’s society, it’s possible for a marriage to not only work but to thrive.