Marriage: such a complex word cannot be described in one or two phrases. Marriage is the sacrament shared by people of all ages, cultures, and countries; this sacred bond performed by two loving souls will sculpt the rest of their lives, for better or for worse. Marriage should not be based on convenience or lust, but appreciation and determination.
Marriage, the blooming flower of love, comes when two people have fallen in love and are willing to make any necessary sacrifices to remain eternally enamored. Sacrifices that may be arduous and internally painful for a few short moments, but completely worthwhile in the long run. The flower of marriage gradually blossoms as two individuals share their lives together and beautify peacefully throughout their elder years. Every flower loses a petal every-so-often, as every couple faces downfalls periodically. Marriage is a person informing their special someone that they are willing to lose a petal or two, but that they will never let the marriage shrivel up and die. Both spouses vow to remain faithful and stay strong when life throws unexpected curve balls towards them. Overcoming the curve balls are like watering a flower, they allow the couple to grow stronger and grow closer. During matrimony, the couple not only makes promises to themselves, but to each other as well. The vow “for better, for worse” promises that both people in the relationship will accept one another no matter how stressful and unsightly situations may become. As every flower has its off-seasons when it is not in bloom and does not comply with the weather, every couple faces hardships and heartaches throughout their journey through life. However, the off-seasons only intensify the flowers magnificence as the rough times only make the happy times more enjoyable with a couple. Marriage is a promise that two spouses will never give up, even when they get hit with some harsh winds.
The next four words “for richer, for poorer” are a promise that money will not make or break the relationship. This vow is a guarantee that lust will never be placed above love and that each spouse will continue loving the other if money becomes tight. So maybe the flower doesn’t look so attractive in the winter months, when most of the precious petals have shriveled and fallen to the cold ground and the aged leaves are turning from an eccentric green to a pale yellow. This change in appearance doesn’t take away the inner beauty of the flower. The same concept is applicable when I say that a man is no less of a man once he’s been laid off from his high-paying job and has to begin working as a waiter in the fast food industry. Love comes from the heart and soul, not from the wallet.The last of the vows, “until death do us part,” are crucial to the meaning of marriage. This firm, meaningful words let, not only the couple, but everyone know that the two souls reciting the words promise to cherish each other for the rest of their lives. This means that twenty years down the road, when the husband has begun to grow more hair on his back and less on his head and the wife’s eyes no longer sparkle in the light, but rather droop and sag through the passing days, the couple will still be just as in love as when they were first married. The matrimonial flower has continued to grow over time and is now just a beautiful as an ever-lasting marriage.
I have no intention of enforcing a strict and limited definition of marriage; my intention is simply to introduce society to a new point of view on marriage and perhaps influence the minds of young souls throughout the world that may be grasping the concept of marriage a little too lightly. Embrace the marriage and accept in for its imperfections.