5 Amazing Things About Being Married
Almost exactly two years ago, I made the best decision of my life and walked down the aisle to marry my now-husband.
But when I did, I heard a lot of negativity from my girlfriends. They would say, “Aren’t you a bit young to get married?” and “Why get married now? It will just tie you down.” And of course, as a young woman in college, I had often heard that I shouldn’t get married at all.
Now, after being married for a little while, I can say with complete confidence that marriage is AWESOME. There are a million ways that marriage is wonderful, but here are the top five. And maybe this will help you tell those naysayers what’s what.
1. You’ll Always Have Someone To Hang Out With
One of the best things about being married is you have a built-in friend to do things with. Want to watch a movie? You’ll have someone to share your popcorn. Want to go to a party, but don’t want to go alone? Don’t worry, your husband will go with you! Want to get dinner at a restaurant, but aren’t super comfortable eating out alone? Your husband is aching for some sushi, so you’re all set.
It’s so nice always knowing that if you want someone there, your husband will be by your side. Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t get alone time – if you need to chill by yourself for a bit, that’s totally valid! But marriage provides you with the infrastructure to prevent you from being lonely – and that’s a pretty awesome thing.
2. You Have a 24/7 Support System
Life is hard. Struggling through the worst times with the best person for you makes everything feel easier. You don’t have to go through the chaos by yourself because your husband is right there with you. And if you are going through something, you always know you have someone you can call.
It’s the best feeling in the world to know that someone is on the other end of the phone, ready and waiting to help you succeed. Being married means you have a lifelong cheerleader and someone who treats your successes like his own. You don’t have to go it alone when you’ve made wedding vows – now you are part of the best team ever.
3. You Can Actually Begin Planning Your Future
Before getting married, you can make plans and even start taking steps to enact them. But things change dramatically when you meet the right person – and all of a sudden you have to take his needs into account too. Trying to make really firm plans before you’re married is incredibly difficult because you don’t know what the future holds. You don’t know when you’ll be able to have children, where you’ll be living, or even if you’ll be working full-time.
When you get married, though, the foggy future can begin to take shape. It may not be entirely clear what’s in store for you, but you can start making plans because so many of the huge questions have already been answered. And being married means you can start looking at your Ten Year Plan with just a little more certainty than before.
4. You’ll Always Have Someone There Helping You To Be Your Best Self
When you get married, you’re accountable to your spouse. Now you don’t have to try to figure out on your own how you can improve yourself – your husband will be there to help and guide you with love. He’ll help you notice if you’re not being sensitive to your friend’s needs. He’ll help you learn how to be kinder if you can be blunt, more confrontational if you avoid conflict, or any other small but important thing that will make you a better person.
It’s a blessing to have someone with you along the journey of life helping you reach your potential and be the best version of yourself. Trying to do it on your own is a great project – but having someone along with you for the ride makes improving so much easier.
5. You’ll Never Know Value in Your Life Until You’re Living for Someone Else
Here’s the thing. Being married is great for a million “making your life easier” kind of reasons. But there’s also this huge thing that makes marriage SO important – and that’s that you actually have to live your life for someone else. And that makes life worth living.
Marriage is all about making choices with another person’s life in mind. It’s the best precursor to having children ever; it teaches you to care about someone else who can survive without you but chooses to have you in their life. Then, when you have a child, you’re caring for someone who literally needs you to live. To live, to grow, to have purpose is about putting yourself second and putting your marriage first. And that’s pretty incredible.
Closing Thoughts
If anyone you know makes you doubt that marriage is awesome, revisit this list. For all the small reasons and the huge reasons, marriage (to the right person) is the best decision you’ll ever make. That doesn’t mean that it’s always easy – but it does mean that it is 100%, no questions asked, worth it.
Abby Roth is the creator of Classically Abby, a commentary, opera, beauty, and lifestyle brand dedicated to looking at the world from a classic perspective. Abby is an opera singer with three degrees in operatic performance from USC and Manhattan School of Music. You can find her website at www.classicallyabby.com and follow her on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest at @ClassicallyAbby.