Marriage

• 40-50% of marriages in the US will end in divorce if current trends continue.
• 27.6% of women who marry under the age of 20 years old will divorce (11.7% of men)
• 36.6% of women who marry at the ages of 20-24 years old will divorce (38.8% of men)
• 16.4% of women who marry at the ages of 25-29 years old will divorce (22.3% of men)
• 8.5% of women who marry at the ages of 30-34 years old will divorce (11.6% of men)
• 5.1% of women who marry at the ages of 35-39 years old will divorce (6.5% of men)
• The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
• The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
• The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%
• In 2009, the where 6.8 marriages per 1,000 total population; 3.4 divorces per 1,000 total population

Do these statistics worry you? Are you surprised? What causes such high rates of divorce?

I've honestly lost track of how many of my friends and associates have had marrital problems so severe that the marriage was seriously in danger or did end in separation or divorce. But I don't want to talk about the statistics or even the causes.

Hubby and I have talked alot the past couple of years.  It's been difficult being apart for so long, continually working on our relationship so that it doesn't die down with all the distance, and seeing so many relationships around us fall apart, even some who we both looked to for inspiration.  And we've decided that 1) the sanctity of marriage seems to be a moot subject these days and 2) people have unrealistic expectations. 

I'm not completely against divorce.  And I'm not going to pass judgement on those who choose divorce.  We all have to make decisions that we can live with.  All marriages have difficult times.  But God meant for us to work through those difficult times together.  Marriage should be "until death do (you) part".

I just think that people underestimate what they have when they have it and overestimate what they want.  The grass is not always greener.  Divorce is hard and emotional and expensive.  People want to complain about how hard life is....WELL STOP MAKING IT HARD!  or atleast harder than it has to be.  I think "problems" that arise in a marriage can usually be worked out.  And I think that the hardwork that it would take to work those problems out, is actually easier than the work it takes to get a divorce and then live harmonously, especially if there are children involved, after the divorce.