Not Every Love Story Survives: What Today’s Marriages Are Teaching Us

Marriage is not for the faint-hearted. In fact, it is not for a 'child'. Anyone who wants to get married must be emotionally strong and truly ready for it. It's not just about being single for a long time and suddenly deciding to settle down. There must be a clear purpose behind such a decision. Marriage is not something one should wake up one day and impulsively choose to do.

These days, most marriages don't last as long as they used to. Nowadays, almost everyone defines their own version of marriage and what they expect from it. Some people believe it should be 50/50, meaning responsibilities should be equally shared between the couple. Others believe the man should take the lion’s share since men are traditionally seen as the provider and the head of the family.

I've seen several cases where husbands and wives share responsibilities equally, so much so that the wife demands her husband do household chores.

Recently, two of my closest acquaintances have been having issues in their marriages, and most of the problems revolve around finances and who should take care of the home. In one case, the wife refuses to let her husband know how she spends her money. She often complains that the husband always claims ownership of everything they have at home.

Their issues escalated to the point where the wife slapped her husband on different occasions before eventually leaving their home, claiming she collapsed at her workplace.

In the other case, the wife used to contribute financially to the home alongside her husband. While she is supportive financially, she does not respect her husband. Most times, she expects him to do the majority of the house chores, almost as if he were a housekeeper.

The truth is, there is no perfect marriage. We just have to understand and manage ourselves as we are. There is no universal manual on how marriage should work. What works for one couple might not work for another.