AD: Divorce $300

I hate this ad. I see it on bus stops, posts, walls… I see it and I think to myself, “whatever happened to the sanctity of marriage?” Is it really as simple as having $300 and that’s that? Call me old fashioned and yes maybe I just don’t know what it is like to be in a marriage that doesn’t work but entering a marriage with the thought that you can always get out of it isn’t such a good thing either. You tend to take marriage lightly. What happened to the vows you took? With divorce present, what makes marriage different from dating? Marriage is supposed to be a life long commitment. You don’t get married just because you feel like it or just because everyody else is doing it. You get married because you and your partner want to build a family, grow old together, to be present in each other’s lives and to be there through good and bad. Yes, marriage isn’t perfect and yes, there are times when you feel like you just want to hurdle a pot towards your husband/wife but you have to work together to overcome that challenges that you come across. People change, yes that’s true but if you truly loved someone, you accept them for who they are. As husband and wife, you do your best to understand each other, to embrace each other’s imperfections and to learn from each other. It is absolutely normal to have differences because even though you are husband and wife, you are still two completely different people who grew up with different families and different life experiences. It is by being together that you fulfill each other.

You don’t stop making mistakes just because you got married. You and your husband/wife will make mistakes, you will probably hurt each other by words or actions (not physically of course – that would be abuse) because you’re human and you’re not perfect. To forgive is extremely difficult especially where immense pain is present. But give it your best shot. Learn to appreciate each other. I think it also important to do your part. You can’t expect your partner to do everything for you. You get what you give. If you want your partner to be responsible then become reponsible too. I am not saying you should change the other person. I think most people make the mistake of getting married thinking that they can change their partner. You don’t force your partner to do something you want. All I’m saying is that you do your share. Learn to know when you should compromise and when you should be firm.

I think couples should pratice good communication. Marriage, like most things in life, is a big risk and will always be a big risk. There are no guarantees in life. But your attitude makes a lot of difference. Knowing that marriage is a life long commitment and learning how to value the sanctity of marriage makes you want to make it work. I think divorce is a petty excuse for being lazy…giving up and not giving it your best shot.