the journal

I believe in marriage. I believe that it can last forever, not just this lifetime. I believe that love is the strongest force in this world. I believe that love conquers all. I believe that love will overcome. And I believe that love is an action, not just an emotion. In today’s world, marriage isn’t seen as something that can last. It’s seen as temporary, good for taxes and a way to be happy for a while. But when things get tough, it’s easy to get out. And I couldn’t disagree more! So, that’s why I wanted to give a couple examples of lasting marriages I’ve seen and what they’ve done to get through hard times instead of just giving up.

My parents are amazing examples to me and always have been. When I was growing up, I thought they were perfect, aside from my dad’s temper. But he was never angry with my mom and he never raised his voice with her, just with my brothers. haha. I never heard them fight or yell at each other in anger. They’d have little spats and disagree on things, but they never let it get too far. They always tried to make time for each other and I will never forget the little things they did that helped me to see what marriage is all about. They kissed hello and goodbye, they always made family prayer and scripture study a priority. They prayed together and they read scriptures together and individually. They made weekly date nights a priority and went to temple often. Now, these things are pretty simple. They don’t take a lot of effort and even if their weekly date was just grocery shopping, they always had it. They’ve taught me that marriage is about the little things. It’s about hugs and kisses and noticing when the other had a bad day. I know my parents marriage hasn’t always been easy, but nothing in life comes easy. And I know that they would tell you that sticking it out and working through hard times together has blessed their life and their marriage.

My siblings have also taught me so much. I’m the youngest of 6 so naturally, everyone else got married before I did. And I’ve seen all of my siblings go through hardships, and I’ve watched how they’ve handled them. When I was about 10, my sister was struggling in her marriage. I don’t know all the details, but I do know that she did everything in her power to make her marriage work. And in the end, she came to live us with her 2 young boys and had to get a divorce. But her strength has been an amazing example to me. She went through a lot. But instead of letting it get her down, she made a new life for herself. And she eventually met her current husband and has 3 more boys. She and my other siblings have taught me that love is something you have to work for. That communication is key. And that we can’t ever give up.

I’m so grateful for these and many other examples of marriage in my life. I’m not saying that my families’ marriages are perfect. Because no one is perfect. But I have seen them strive for perfection. I’ve seen them sacrifice and compromise and work to keep their marriages strong. And I hope that I can do everything in my power to keep my marriage strong. To keep my relationship alive and to let my husband know that no matter what happens, I will always love him.