I get google alerts, and I’ve noticed several articles lately on the decline of marriage, the irrelevancy of marriage, and the increasing amounts of trouble for married folk. Most of the observations are old ones. Financial hardship challenges marriages. Correlations between educational background and marital satisfaction remain solid. Marriage is hard. The usual stuff.
And marriage has always been hard. And people have always had a host of reasons to marry. Regardless of their reasoning, marriage takes work. In one of my mentor’s words, “Marriage is not for children.” It takes work for those with and without jobs. It requires commitment and a host of other skills and gifts from husbands and wives.
Despite the many sobering words this week about marriage, I came across this story, celebrating a Florida couple’s 70th wedding anniversary. The wife, Mildred, says that the secret to a successful marriage is to forgive and be forgiven. I think words are worth meditating on.
