Quite a while ago, I was asked this question, “What did you learn from your marriage?” I probably had a wise-ass answer, but it did set me thinking. After my first wife died and I was being pressured into “finding a woman,” I remember considering each date differently than when I was first dating. I don’t think in high school I ever thought beyond what we might do on a date. Were we going to a school dance or just a movie? There were no thoughts about a long-term commitment such as marriage. In college, my first concern was the draft. Would I be able to finish college, or would I have to interrupt it for military service? There was absolutely no thought about a long-term commitment. Times were too nebulous.
I don’t think when I started dating again, I had any thought of marrying. I was doing it because my mother-in-law was telling me, “every young man needs a woman in his life.” However, when any of life’s minor problems occurred, I missed the partnership provided by my wife. I realized it was no longer me against the world but us. Life was more manageable with a partner. I think it was at that point I saw dating more seriously. That also provided the answer as to what I had learned in marriage. It’s easier and more fun to have a partner at your side.
What have you learned from your marriage?
