That is not what this phase means. It's not something pointed at other peoples marriages like a judgement--I'm not saying, oh, well, yours didn't make it. It also does not mean that divorce should never be used--because sometimes divorce is the only option. I would say that divorce is utilized to much in today society, but that's a topic for a different post.
When Brian and I married, we tried to discuss as much as possible how we were going to handle disputes. We also wanted to make it clear that we were going into this marriage with the full intention of staying together for life. We talked about boundaries, emotions, and triggers, and made sure we both knew that things might drastically change when we moved in together. In short, both of us wanted to make sure we could adapt habitually to each other.
One of the things we discussed was divorce. The divorce rate for the united states 3.6 per 1,000 population with the marriage rate being 6.8 per 1,000 total population (stats from CDC for US marriages and divorces in 2011) This is really high. Because I desperately want my marriage to last, Brian and I decided to set some rules regarding divorce and adopt the divorce is not an option mantra.
The first agreement we made was to agree that this only made sense in a relationship that was not abusive. Physical and mental abuse should not be tolerated in any situation. Honestly, if my husband started abusing me, I would seek counseling and/or separation, depending on the degree of abuse and how safe/unsafe I felt, before pursuing divorce.
I am happy to report that there is no physical or mental abuse in my relationship with Brian. Sure, we have disagreements, and we both have faults, and life can be full of moments where we try to selfishly assert our will or desires on each other, but we generally try to approach each issue with as much love and respect as possible. I've never had a time where Brian didn't adopt a humble spirit with me when discussing a problem. I can tell, even when we are in a heated discussion, that my husband cares about me and that he wants to understand where I am coming from. I hope he can say the same for me.
That main point aside, this is what the term Divorce is not an Option means to Brian and I--this is the list we made up before we married, to help us stay true and honor our goal of staying married for life.
- Never bring up the word divorce unless you really mean it. (Aka, don't use this word as a way to coerce or threaten your way into getting what you want or making someone feel bad)
- Nothing should be so annoying as to leave the person you love over (Aka, irreconcilable differences) Honestly, I try not to annoy my spouse on purpose, but it does happen. When it does happen, we talk about it. Communication is important--and so is remembering what your spouse tells you. Remembering is my hard part. As is picking your battles--is this really worth talking about, or should I just put on my big girl pants and do it myself?
- Put God first. This is a christian thing. If we are both actively seeking Christ, trying to learn and grow in the bible, God can council our spirits and help us change before our spouse even notices a problem. It also gives us a common ground to fall back on.
My marriage is no where near perfect, but it's growing--and I'm enjoying watching it grow. We've both changed so much. I've learned to give, and so has my husband. It's so beautiful to see my husband sacrifice for me--and I love to see this in myself as well. We don't sacrifice because we have to, or because if we don't the other person will throw a violent fit. We sacrifice because we love each other and we are committed to this thing called "marriage". And for us, that means divorce is not an option.
What about you? Does the term "Divorce is not an Option" sound like something you would adopt?
