Till Death Do Us Part

Yesterday, I found myself caught up in another thought-provoking episode of "change your life t.v." starring Oprah. The show topic was about the lies that people tell themselves prior to getting married. This topic got me thinking so hard--it almost made my head hurt. That's when I realized that this country is in a state of absolute confusion about marriage and family.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm an expert on the topic of commitment and marriage, but I have had my share of monogamous relationships. Watching shows like "What about Brian", "Grey's Anatomy", and now "Oprah" are making me doubtful if there is a possibility of healthy/monogamous relationships anymore.


What used to be "jitters" are now being referred to as "whispers from God" telling you to head for the hills! For those already in relationships, the expectation is that when the sex is boring and the kids aren't babies anymore...maybe we should have sex with other people--so we can hate each other later. And, for those poor unfortunate souls who are nowhere near marriage (like poor Meredith on Grey's Anatomy), you are doomed to a life of cheap, drunken sex with various men searching for something that will only make you more miserable in the end....a long-term relationship.

At this rate, in five years, the sacrament of marriage will only be made available to those in prison--as an alternative to lethal injection.


Often times, I question love. I wonder if it's suppose to be this fun. Should I feel this comfortable? Is it okay for me to act this silly? Was it suppose to take this long? Should it be this complicated? Should I care this much? Is it okay for someone to make you this angry? Is this the sacrifice I need to make? Is this an issue that I can't deal with?...the list goes on....


During these self-inflicted inquisitions, I always come back to the same question...Have you ever been this happy or this content? And, my answer is always "no". Having said that, I realize that I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe when love has truly found you nothing can tear it apart. At the tender age of 29, I have learned that love and friendship can't exist without each other. I believe that real love can't exist without friendship and real friendship can't come about without true love.


So, this week's advice from the counselor is simple: If you're looking for a loving relationship, then look at your closest friends: If all of your closest friends are of the same sex--you're doing something wrong...