Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Marriage Rate

Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. Or do they? And why are we constantly being bombarded with the divorce rate? I decided it was high time that someone took a look at the glass half full.

The marriage rate refers to the number of people getting married but why not extend the meaning to the number of marriages that live to tell the tale? I wanted to know about couples that made it last over the years and are still smiling at each other. Isn’t that a more compelling story?

Although the number of new marriages in America has been declining steadily over the years, 52% of American marriages make it for a lifetime. How differently would we perceive marriage if everyone walked around saying that more then half of marriages survive? I’m starting to like my odds.

Generations X and Y have a whole new opportunity to put our stamp on marriage. We are getting married later, 26 for women and 28 for Men, and I hope that means we’re choosing more wisely and waiting until we’re really ready to make the commitment. What will marriage look like in 30 years from now? It’s up to us.

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