Getting Married Young
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I do not plan on getting married young. I do, however, have some opinions on it that I feel I should share. I recently saw a blog post on Facebook by a random person on the internet. It was entitled "23 Things To Do Instead of Getting Engaged Before You're 23." I will not quote the entire thing but here is the link http://wanderonwards.com/2013/12/30/23-things-to-do-instead-of-getting-engaged-before-youre-23/ (sorry for the cuss words in her article, ignore them). I clicked on the link, curious as to what the woman would have to say about it. I went into it giving her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she would talk about the benefit of growing spiritually before diving into a life-long commitment like marriage. Maybe she would talk about enjoying the days of being together but still having that dating element. Like I said, I went in with an open mind.
I can tell you right now, I became very appalled within the first paragraph. She starts out by saying that getting married young is something that is a "trend." She even goes so far as to say, "The divorce rate for young couples is more than twice the national average. Divorce is no longer a staple in a midlife crisis, but rather, something that SEVENTEEN Magazine should probably be printing on." She says in her list of 23 things to do on number 7... "Get a tattoo. It's more permanent than a marriage." Wow, really? By this point (judging by some other things she stated in her post) I had pretty much deduced that this woman was not a Christian. To be fair, I completely understand where she is coming from, but I really believe that she has the completely wrong approach to it.
Now, in lieu of everything that I have said about this other woman's opinion, I will now share my own personal opinion on the subject.
I go to a Christian college where the phrase "ring by spring" is commonly used as a joke. I know plenty of engaged and married people that are around my age. They are some really healthy people that are completely and utterly enjoying their lives. Personally, I do not want to get married in college, but that is because of my own personality and knowledge that I would not handle it well. I have a problem with young marriage when it is for the wrong reasons. Many unhealthy people get married young to feel safe, to have someone that will always be there and many other reasons. I, however, believe that each couple is different.
Ultimately, I believe that it should be each couple's personal preference. Rather than age, it should be maturity and where they are in their walk together as healthy individuals and as a healthy couple. I do not believe that one woman should be able to decide what everyone should do with their lives. If you love to travel, TRAVEL! If you want to be a stay at home mom, who is stopping you? Marriage is sacred and God ordained. The appropriate time to get engaged or married should not be something that we, as humans, should be allowed to determine when someone is ready or not.
I can tell you right now, I became very appalled within the first paragraph. She starts out by saying that getting married young is something that is a "trend." She even goes so far as to say, "The divorce rate for young couples is more than twice the national average. Divorce is no longer a staple in a midlife crisis, but rather, something that SEVENTEEN Magazine should probably be printing on." She says in her list of 23 things to do on number 7... "Get a tattoo. It's more permanent than a marriage." Wow, really? By this point (judging by some other things she stated in her post) I had pretty much deduced that this woman was not a Christian. To be fair, I completely understand where she is coming from, but I really believe that she has the completely wrong approach to it.
Now, in lieu of everything that I have said about this other woman's opinion, I will now share my own personal opinion on the subject.
I go to a Christian college where the phrase "ring by spring" is commonly used as a joke. I know plenty of engaged and married people that are around my age. They are some really healthy people that are completely and utterly enjoying their lives. Personally, I do not want to get married in college, but that is because of my own personality and knowledge that I would not handle it well. I have a problem with young marriage when it is for the wrong reasons. Many unhealthy people get married young to feel safe, to have someone that will always be there and many other reasons. I, however, believe that each couple is different.
Ultimately, I believe that it should be each couple's personal preference. Rather than age, it should be maturity and where they are in their walk together as healthy individuals and as a healthy couple. I do not believe that one woman should be able to decide what everyone should do with their lives. If you love to travel, TRAVEL! If you want to be a stay at home mom, who is stopping you? Marriage is sacred and God ordained. The appropriate time to get engaged or married should not be something that we, as humans, should be allowed to determine when someone is ready or not.
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