At various times, marriage has been defined as a dynastic continuation, wealth conservation, bourgeois tradition, social requirement, family obligation, or religious fraud. Not to mention modern twists and fantasies .
I’m sure anyone who tries to nail it down is excessively foolish. I will give it a comment anyway. I’ve been fortunate, and still consider our 50-year marriage the core of our lives. So a personal observation .
The main thing has always been trusted companionship, sealed with honest individual oaths. Those ideas of “for better or worse, in sickness and in health” have really meant something, sometimes a burden, more often a comfort. Got us through the inevitable rough patches.
We were fortunate to be well-formed individual people when we met. We did not have identical goals, we did not need to find our own meaning in each other. We were simply a pair who liked to share life and adventure – although still free not to do so all the time. Enough different interests to keep things interesting. And the ability to argue and resolve conflict. I admit that in all that the most important shared value was that of family. Raising children was a goal above all others .
Well – so much for this soapbox .
HuntingtonHarborThoughts 