The Attack on Marriage’s

As 2023 is concluding, I wanted to touch on the topic of marriage. If you've been reading and watching the news, you are seeing celebrities getting divorced left and right. It seems like there's a dark cloud over marriages. And personally, I'm sure many of us know that "happy" uncle and aunt who have been married for 30 years, "suddenly" calling it quits. What seems to be going on with marriages in 2023?

In my opinion, these past few years with the Covid shutdown forced people to actually be home with their spouse more, to talk to them, and be around them more. And I think more people came to the realization that this does not work. It's so easy when both partners are working 10-12 hours a day, maybe with a day or two off, when you aren't forced to see each other. But imagine if both of you lost your employment or were forced to work less. For some marriages, this was a positive thing. It allowed marriages to bond more and become more intimate. However, for some, it had the opposite effect. It allowed them to be around their spouse more, and they discovered more things they did not like.

I also believe that what's going on with marriages is that people are exhausted from putting on an "image" of happiness and an illusion, not only to society but to themselves as well. I think people are putting their foot down more with their spouses, which is causing discomfort. The other spouse isn't able to manipulate, mistreat, or abuse their partner.

Last but certainly not least, I think financial issues are causing tears in marriages. With Covid hitting and a current economic time where inflation is through the roof, a lot of couples' differences in money are now being exposed. I think a lot of these issues were always there, but they were easily hidden because economic strains weren't placed on the couple. Now, with the cost of living higher than it has been in the past 40 years, more talks about budgeting, spending, and savings are being held in households. And couples are realizing that this is not going to work.

I hope all marriages fare well and that they can weather all storms placed upon them. Remember, it's you versus the problems, not you versus each other.

-Samuel