Real Marriage

Marriage is hard. So incredibly hard. And anyone who says any different is lying, I promise.

And its amazing to me that we build our lives around one relationship and its supposed strength. Strength that actually takes years to build. We buy houses, have children, adopt pets, and get involved in churches and activities. The basis of all these activities being your marriage. One relationship of two fragile people with histories and baggage and insecurities and opinions. How could it not be hard? And why does it catch us so off guard when we all know hundreds of married people who could have warned us?

Maybe in an effort to look good to everyone on the outside, we neglect to be honest with ourselves and each other. It is just so easy to pretend that things are great and easy when they are really difficult and unexpected and ugly on the inside. Ignorance is bliss, right?

But we can't afford to be ashamed of the hardness of marriage. Because in being ashamed, we deny ourselves help. We deny ourselves the encouragement and support of friends, and we deny others the opportunity to learn from us and our mistakes. Mistakes that they might not have to make, which might in turn save their marriage. All because we are ashamed and prideful, and we want so badly to look put-together and polished.

And for some reason, being vulnerable has become unacceptable in some circles, and that's not okay. Because sometimes you need other people to believe and have faith and be strong for you, when you don't have the strength to be those things for yourself. We have to help each other. Whether that be laying down in the trenches or climbing the mountains together – we have to believe for each other, have hope for each other, and fight for each other. Even when things are ugly and desolate and hopeless. Because that's when we need each other the most.

Because we all lose heart at some point.

And that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you normal. The fury of hell has been released upon marriages because they are so beautiful and precious to God. And because they are an exact representation of Him and the Church. The war against us is real and intense. And we shouldn't ignore it, but instead be looking for opportunities to support each other through it.

So I want you to know that I want to be all-in for you. 

For your marriage. 

And your family.

And your friendship. 

And your happiness. 

24/7, forever and always. 

Please let me. Come be a part of my story and let me be a part of yours. Because marriage is hard, and we all want someone to go through it with.