"I do"

"Will you have this woman/man as your lawful wedded partner, to live together in the estate of matrimony? Will you love him/her, honor him/her, comfort him/her, and keep him/her in sickness and in health; forsaking all others, be true to him/her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" 

"Will you have this woman/man as your lawful wedded partner, to live together in the estate of matrimony? Will you love him/her, honor him/her, comfort him/her, and keep him/her in sickness and in health; forsaking all others, be true to him/her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" 

........

"I, (name) take (name) as my wedded partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part"

........

Ever wonder what happened to the meaning of those vows? Since when were those vows taken so lightly? Do each of those words not mean anything? Do people just say it for the heck of getting married but not actually understanding the meanings and its value? Some people might just say that it's just reading off a sheet of paper or repeating it after someone but its more than that. As simple as it sounds to read off a sheet of paper or repeating it after someone, these holds values and meaning much deeper than that. It's a lifetime commitment. 

Ever since I was a kid, I always dreamt about finding "the one", getting married to that person who will love me eternally, starting our own family and growing old together. Even growing up into my high school years, I continued to think about getting married and being excited for finding that person. The one who will say those vows to me and where I can do the same. As I got older, I began to understand this world bit by bit. I began to realize that life is not full of rainbows and butterflies (obviously) and for sure realize that there are no fairy tales. No Prince Charming is going to ride up on their horse and take your hand in for marriage and live happily ever after. But realistically, I have always known that. However, I still continued to have a little faith in society and in people. 

But lately I began to really question the value and meaning of marriage. It seems to me that people are not serious about marriage and don't truly understand the meaning of marriage. Why I think this way? Perhaps it's because of the work I do. In the profession that I will be in, a social worker, without a doubt I will encounter cases working with family and women. Currently receiving training as a student, I have already encountered numerous cases that revolves around domestic violence. And it is because of it that have resulted me to begin to lose faith in marriage and the idea of a family. Being exposed to these real life cases really makes me question marriage. What is the point of getting married when in the end, your partner is not going to love you or your partner won't be able to comply with those vows? But it can always be argued that maybe it is me who won't be able to comply with the vows or it is me who don't love my partner anymore. And that is true, that is a possibility but that is not my main concern.

Having to witness and hear the heart breaking stories and experience those women go through, really makes me question what I have dreamt about ever since I was a kid. Hearing how these women cry as they narrate their story how they were either abused, betrayed, lied to, taken for granted and left with nothing but older with age, fear, feeling of vulnerability and possibility with young children. It is so heart breaking to see and hear how people can take the vows that they have said so lightly. What happened to love, honor, comfort, be true, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to cherish and love each other? What happened to the true value and meaning of those words they have vowed to? Do people just forget about it or it something that only exists during the so called "honeymoon" stage and disappears as years go by? If that is the case, why get married?