Transition into Marriage

       Marriage is a huge step we take in life, and there are many different things that come with it. We have to be committed to the guy just as much as he is committed to us. When a guy asks a girl to marry him, he is already committed and is ready to take that step. But as women, we have to be just as committed, and actually be invested in the relationship. Too often girls tend to take the easier route because they think they are in love, and it is convenient. They think they are ready when they really aren't, and it can throw your relationship for a loop. Marriage can't just be all fun and games like we think it is. But in order to have a successful marriage, it is important to have a strong foundation. We can relate this back to the structure and foundation of a house. If we don't have a strong foundation underneath the ground for the house structure to sit on, our house is going to start to crumble. Just like our relationships and marriage. If we don't have a strong foundation as a couple, how are things going to work out and survive. From then on, if the husband and wife can't have a good foundation, then neither will the family in later years to come. Part of having this strong foundation is learning to make decisions together and being able to get along. Communication is such a big key thing to have. If you can't communicate with one another there is going to be some contention and blaming and that is the last thing that needs to happen in a marriage. Yes there are going to be times when it will happen, but if we can do our best to keep it from happening less everyone will be happier.
      Then there comes the stress that happens before a wedding. There is so much planning to do, and money to spend and worry about. Some will see the cost of a wedding once everything is all planned and then it will get delayed for possibly 2 or 3 years because they can't afford it and it scares them. The average cost of a wedding in the United States is around $20,000. This can cause a lot of stress especially on the bride because she wants it to be her big day and everything needs to be perfect. After marriage, everything you have is shared time, money, things, etc. It's like the saying that we hear, "What's mine is yours and whats yours is mine." Everything you own becomes each others. There are some early marital transitions that every couple has to go through, and money and belongings is one of them. When a couple lives apart for a while and then comes together to tie the knot, their relationship is stronger with each other. They are more excited for things to happen, and I believe that love is stronger. I have seen this with my brother and his new wife. They met up at college through me, and then he moved away to Oregon to go to Chiropractic school. He is there for 3 months at a time and then comes home for about 2 weeks. They weren't sure how they were going to make it work, but they figured out a way. They loved each other enough that they decided this wasn't going to hurt them. They had about a 6 month engagement and only saw each other when he came home. The love they have is real and strong and they are always excited to see each other. The engagement period is a time to get "engaged" and really spend time working things out together and figuring out how you are going to spend your life together.