Marriage and what I Expected.
The television paints the perfect picture, of how Cinderella met her prince charming and lived happily ever after. But, what they didn't show is their life together and what it took to live happily ever after. Marriage is more than just a mere fairy tale. It is a sacred union, to give all, to be devoted, to share life equally with that special someone, or so that's what I expected.
There are so many misconceptions of marriage, and what it really is. The media and the public have a huge influence on our stereotypes of marriage. Media portrays women just as they did fifty years ago, taking care of the children, and the house. While the husband goes off to work, comes home and sits on the couch. Today, they have added that women should do all that and work too. Some people do not help the situation; they impose their views, to make them look as though they have that perfect Leave it to Beaver family, not!.
The institution of marriage has been a growing experience for me, from the wedding, to living together, and then children. I thought and still think it is an equal partnership of all responsibilities. I"m the oldest of four children. Growing up my parents struggled to make ends meet. My mom worked as a C.N.A., while my dad was in the Navy, attending B.Y.U. Utah full time, and working as a Domino's delivery boy. As a family we all worked together.
However, my husband was raised a bit differently. He was an only child of a young widowed mother, who did and bought everything for him. So, when we were married he became my responsibility. After the wedding we had to adjust. I had a three-year-old daughter, he was real good with her, but she was already past the baby stage. He believed the role of a husband was to provide for the family, and relax when he got home. And the wife's role is to clean house, take care of the finances, the shopping and meals, provide physical and spiritual needs for the children, while also working.