(Note from Stephanie: Hey everyone! I am happily away on my honeymoon in Mexico, and wanted you to get to know my good friend, Laura! She’s such a sweetheart and has a fun blog. Hope you enjoy her post!)
Hi guys! I’m so excited to be guest posting for Stephanie while she’s on her honeymoon! My name is Laura and I blog over at The Luckiest in Love. I’ve gotten to know Stephanie pretty well over the last few months: first as a blog friend, then as one of my clients on etsy (I had the privilege of making her do not disturb door hangers for her out of town guests and bridal/groom/newlywed suite door hangers!) and then even better through Twitter and Facebook. I’m SO excited for her and Mathew to start their lives as husband and wife, and I’m sure their day was absolutely gorgeous!
I recently came across an article entitled ‘I Do’ Means ‘I Will,’ Not ‘I May’ and really enjoyed all of the points it made about marriage today, commitment, and the pain of divorce. With divorce being so prevalent in today’s society, it’s always nice to be reminded that the vows we took/will take on our wedding day are for life.
The following is my favorite passage from the article:
“Those of us who believe that marriage means forever carry on and push through the pain because we said we would on our wedding days. And unless a spouse is abusive or adulterous or an addict, most marriages can endure, and do endure, as evidenced by the women in The Secret Lives of Wives. They are rich and poor, black and white, Muslim, Jewish and Evangelical Christian. Yet they share a common and significant trait: They have managed to navigate the hurdles and stay married. They meant what they said on their wedding days, come hell or high-water.
These longtime wives are bound to the promise that “I do” means “I will” as they nurse husbands with lung cancer, raise children with autism, survive adultery, the loss of breasts, the death of children, bankruptcy. They often pull out bridal pictures to remind them that a wedding is not about the big dress and the big crowd and the big gifts; it’s about vowing to honor a commitment. If they can forge onward through serious crises, we certainly can push through piddly annoyances like boredom which is a common reason that women tell me they consider leaving marriages.
And so we make that choice every day, every fight, every disappointment, to keep our promise to be loyal and forgiving, to be a couple that lasts. We remember those words we exchanged, clutching each other’s hands, in front of God and family and friends. A wedding is not a theatrical performance: it’s the real thing, an adult decision that is supposed to determine the direction and integrity of the rest of our lives.”
I highly encourage you to read the rest here whether you’re engaged, married, or even thinking about marriage at some point in the future. And remember that “I do” doesn’t mean “I may”, it means “I will.”
Thanks again, Stephanie, for having me! 🙂 Hope you’re LOVING Mexico, and I can’t wait to see pictures and hear all about the wedding and honeymoon when you get home! If any of you are interested in reading my newlywed-ish/life/craft/home décor blog, you can find me over at The Luckiest in Love!
