That all being said, I wouldn't say I flat out don't believe in marriage. It's not that black and white to me. My parents have been happily married for more than 30 years. It's just something I've always assumed I would do. However, my views on marriage itself have changed drastically over the past few years.
As I've gotten older and considered the thought of actually settling down with someone for life, I began to get overwhelmed with the seriousness of that commitment. I've seen what kind of love a year marriage requires, and it takes a lot of time, commitment and patience between two individuals.
All of that is extremely hard to find in a relationship, and I absolutely will not make that commitment to a guy unless it's that kind of love.
No one else should, either. To enter a lifelong commitment without fully trusting and giving yourself to someone is something we have all seen far too often, and it is not fair to either person or family involved. It was quite another to see myself having the same success, finding someone who I could literally stand by forever and never look back. Marriage is a huge deal to me, a HUGE deal. It's something to be admired and cherished between two people who are right for each other.
I've seen several friends take the leap into married life, and my own sister will be among them this December. I believe in all of their marriages, and I think a majority of them are the perfect mix of best friends and lovers. I'm starting to second-guess my belief in the sanctity of marriage, as I've seen so many people enter marriages when they don't seem in love or ready for it.
