June 17th is a historic moment for a country so divided on an issue that the lines are polarizing. A poll on AOL shows that 51% oppose same-sex marriage while 49% support it. The number of people in the poll is just 59,000 — so that makes those differering in opinion to be about 1,000 apart. While there is no way to poll the entire country, chances are good that it would come down to a split where the supporters and opponents are about even and the people who don’t care make up the rest.
Supporting Freedom of Consortium
I know that there is a very strong belief that marriage is predicated on the union of one man and one woman. There are 40+ states out there with laws that say just that. It’s based on a Judeo-Christian fundamental belief. But we have freedom of religion and freedom from religion in the United States. Because in my definition, marriage is predicated on love, commitment and honor. These are all qualities that should be admired, aspired to and cherished.
I admire California for pushing forward with this and I know it won’t stop vocal opponents; in fact, it will likely make them scream even louder on both sides of the fence. But for just this one moment, I want to pause and say congratulations to every couple that is planning a wedding – for some like George Takei, that have been in committed relationships for more than 2 decades, this is a fantastic opportunity for you. But I also advise that same-sex couples, who have fought so long to get the right to marriage, cherish it all the more and don’t rush to tie the knot only to cut it in a year.
Value It
Our modern culture tends to take marriage for granted. We follow the romantic foibles and on-again/off-again relationships of actors, stars and more. We love the ‘happily ever after’ at least for the first few months and then we gobble up all the dirty details of why those marriages disintegrate. It’s easy to get a divorce. It’s easy to just call it quits and move on. It’s not atypical for people to have more than 1 marriage in a lifetime due to divorce or separation rather than death.
Don’t fall into that trap. You fought for it. You wanted it. Now cherish it. Make it last. Take divorce off the table and find a way to blend positive relationships — because marrying just because you can without the intention of staying married — cheapens the achievement.
But hey, that’s just my opinion.
These are my personal opinions and in no way reflect the opinions of Families.com