If Marriage is a Journey, Who Has the Map?

Marriage Isn't One Size Fits All

Couple During Fashion Week
Christian Vierig / Getty Images

Marriage is a topic about which people have strong feelings and thoughts. Every couple has their own map. Marriage affects us all. It has a tremendous impact on the strength of the family and ultimately on society. Marriage is in the news a great deal. There are always articles on 50-year anniversary celebrations, upcoming anniversaries, divorces of celebrities, and scandalous marriages. Today's magazines are full of tests, questionnaires, tips, and advice about how to make a marriage work. Yet where is the good news about long term commitments, happy couples and stories of the excitement of traveling this marvelous journey of trust and discovery called marriage?

Surprisingly marriage has been around for a very long time. The institution of marriage was formed not only for the individuals getting married but also for their society and for their future children. Due to high divorce rates and the legality of gay marriages, getting married is also a political issue. Communities, states, countries, and religions are enacting legislation to require more marriage preparation before a marriage license is issued. Other societal and cultural issues affect marriages today. Some additional controversial issues include arranged marriages, teens getting married, cousins who want to marry, interracial and interfaith marriages, and cohabitation.

It is our hope that this you will realize you aren't alone on the journey. When problems such as domestic violence, infidelity, financial difficulties, and sexual miscommunication bring about disillusionment, you are not alone. When you are having fun, laughing with one another and are romantic, you are not alone. Through all the stages of marriage, you are not alone.

There is not just one map. We all have maps. As a couple journeys together in marriage, many will make a wrong turn, or get lost, or find ourselves on an unplanned detour not on our map. Sharing your map with the maps of others is one way to get back on the right route.

So ... who has the map? We all do. It's the collective map that is the right one.