"Love and Marriage"

"This I tell you, brother,
You can't have one without the other."

While at work today, I couldn't help but overhear a group of people talking. It was all mindless bantering until the topic of "marriage" came up. I listened as they compared track records of how many times they'd been married and how long they've stayed married. To my dismay, it seemed that people were just as proud of how many marriages as they were of how many years they'd remained wed. I can clearly understand the pride one may take in the longevity of one's marriage but to boast about how many husbands or wives one has "gone through" I find, frankly, disturbing.
I consider myself a forward-thinking individual, but I am quite traditional when it comes to the topic of romance (that's not to say I'm not open-minded in said area). Marriage, I feel is a sacred institution. One that should not be taken lightly. Does that make me retarded? I mean, it seems today that, with the ever-rising divorce rates and the glamorization of extra-marital relationships, marriage has lost the integrity that was once the reason it was so grand. What's worse is that the so much of the world embraces this new way of marriage with open arms.
However, this doesn't mean all hope is lost.

I have an uncle and an aunt who recently renewed their vows after 25 years together. To me, 25 years is a huge landmark and no doubt they thought so too. However, I admit I had my doubts as to how happy they were. I mean, 25 years: the silver anniversary. Sounds like a decent enough reason to throw a party. But were they celebrating 25 years of marriage or 25 years of being in love? My doubts were laid to rest that night at the reception dinner.
The reception took place in a humble little hall across from the church the ceremony took place. Even after the decorations (a handful of balloons and some streamers here and there) were set in place, the large room seemed rather quaint in good way. This caused me to wonder further just how much this meant to my aunt and uncle. I knew that I shouldn't be judging the strength of their relationship from their quaint decorations int the humble hall. I knew there was only one way to find out.
The tables were set on the aging hardwood floor for about 60+ people with a large enough area for people to dance after their meal if they wished. I (unbeknown to me until a few hours before the event) was to be the DJ for the majority of the night. I didn't mind. If any of my other cousins were given the task they'd have played a bunch of hip hop music; not exactly the first choice of my aunt and uncle.
I had a perfect view of the dance floor. I'd finished meal quickly and took my place on the raised platform where the sound system and laptop containing the music was. After it seemed like everyone had just about had their fill, I gathered the attention of the room and invited the couple of the evening to the dance floor for their bride/ groom dance. from the looks of their faces when I said this, they had not planned on dancing in front of everyone, but, with some light pressure from the room full of family and friends, they gladly took the floor. This was what I was waiting for. This was what I was waiting to see. I through on The Carpenters' "We've Only just Begun" and sat back.
I had to add my aunt and uncle to the list of heroes I've met. As I watched them dance amid the tacky decor and antique furnishings, the scene seemed more beautiful then it had been up until then. Every step, every twirl, every smile told me that these two loved each other just as much now as they did 25 years ago. I glanced at my grandmother, swelling with pride, as she watched them dance about the floor. I'm no mind-reader, but I think she may have seen what I saw in them that night too.

I would often think that if I were to be lucky (or rich) enough for a girl to accept my proposal of marriage, it would eventually dissolve. Not because I want it to; I am very much willing to dedicate my entire life to my wife and possible children. I think that's how it would end because it seems to be the norm of the day. That night at my aunt and uncle's reception dinner helped revitalize the hope that if some girl happens to allow herself to love me in such a way to rival my love for her, were we to marry, it would be forever. That, to me, would be something truly worth ringing one's own bell for.
I don't make promises very often because I take promises, oaths, and vows very seriously. So if I'm lucky enough to stand at the altar with a woman I love I would truly mean it when I'd say:
I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife...
To have and to hold, from this day forward,
For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health...
To Love and to cherish
'Till death do us part.