Member-only story
Marriage is an Accomplishment Only When One Spouse Dies
If we are going to continue to see marriage as “until death,” then the only way for it to reach its ‘goal’ is death
Is getting engaged or married an accomplishment? Not according to Natalie Brooke — who is engaged to be married. In an article in the Huffington Post, she writes that getting married is not an accomplishment and bemoans the fact that once she got a ring on her finger, that’s all people wanted to talk about — not the many real accomplishments (her education, career, etc.) she’s had. Getting married is a big deal, she notes, but society might want to “re-evaluate what aspect of women’s lives we put the most value on.”
She writes:
“You don’t have to have a brain, drive or special skill set to get married. You just have to have a willing partner. … That’s not to say that there is no accomplishment related to being married. I believe success comes into play not when the man gets down on one knee or when the couple stands at the altar and says ‘I do.’ but rather when the husband and wife are able to weather through financial woes, illnesses, having kids, and the general stresses of everyday life. Staying together in an era when over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce is certainly an achievement.”
