The Big D

Nowadays, more often than not, marriage and divorce go hand in hand. When the ocean seems rocky, is it easier to dive into the water than to weather the storm? Why is it more acceptable now than it used to be to obtain a divorce? Have we given in to the notion that nothing lasts forever?

As someone who got married at a young age, I pretty much skipped the dating game all together. There were no candlelit dinners, no outings with groups of friends to get the proverbial stamp of approval, nor did I take the time to ask many important questions. After all, I was 20 years old and, back then, pretty shallow with my thought processes. I was old enough to make my own decisions and immature enough to think I knew it all. So, I rushed to the alter. I was going to have the kids, the white picket fence, and live the fairy-tale life that was becoming a wife. We loved each other and we were going to be together forever. Boy, was I naive.

Three years after my divorce, I'm sitting at my desk wondering what the divorce rate has looked like in this country. Love To Know has listed divorce statistics from 1867 to 1985. I think most of us feel no surprise as we scroll through the percentages, as they increase profoundly.

How often does a couple divorce? Does getting married at a younger age affect the likelihood for divorce? For a little entertainment, here are some divorce statistics from Avvo Stories that answer questions like these. You may be surprised that a certain age group has a higher divorce rate percentage.

Now, the big question - what is the key to staying together, to making it work? Focus On The Family lists some suggestions for couples who are looking for some insight on the subject. Like, "crisis doesn't mean your marriage is over".

As you can see, marriage isn't always a blissful union. Most often, we don't hear about the difficulties we're about to face in life with our partners. We become consumed with the details of the ceremony, the guests, the picture-perfect idea that our lives will change drastically for the better once we say our I-do's. The truth is, just like with anything else in our lives, we can choose to jump ship, or we can ride the waves. The choice is ours. For those of us who have already thrown out the life preservers, the ship has sailed. For those of you who are still contemplating, I hope that something you've read here has helped you strap yours on a little tighter.