Is marriage easy?

I recently clicked on an article that someone shared on Facebook. It was written by a woman who believed that the only true accomplishments a woman can have is if she is not married and does not have kids. In fact, she stated that getting married is easy, so why do people think it is an accomplishment. I disagreed with the entire article, but her statement about marriage is what clung with me. Is getting married easy? Yes. But, that is not what the accomplishment is about. It is about staying married. There is the real trial and prize.

Many people get married everyday, and in today's world it is an easy task. Getting a divorce is almost just as easy. What the lady was not looking at was the work that goes into a successful marriage, one that lasts. I love this quote, and I don't know who to attribute it to, but it goes like this, "A perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other." 

I have been married for twenty years, an it has not been easy. So many problems come up, from finances to personal behavior, and continuing on together is a struggle. But, my husband and I are committed to staying together and making our marriage work. The fact that I can tell people I've been married for twenty years feels like a real accomplishment. I believe the greatest and hardest accomplishment that a woman can claim is having a working marriage after many years. It doesn't matter if she works, worked, or had a lot of kids. The keeping it together over the years is the most important thing. I also love the quote from David O McKay, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” It takes two, it can't just be the woman. So, the success is in working together as a couple despite the hard times.

The photo taken above was over twenty years ago while my husband and I were dating at college. We we're so young (and skinny!). My marriage and my children are the greatest accomplishments of my life, and nothing outside can compete. Even fulfilling my life long dream of being a published author.