EARLY START – Many little girls dream of getting married at some point. Should it matter whether that is at 21 years old or 59 years old?
Some people might say getting married young is a bad idea.
"Oh, you're not ready yet!" or "You've barely even lived, how can you even know you want to spend the rest of your life with this person?" are two things I hear whenever someone finds out I am getting married at age 21.
When I asked students in some of my classes about what age they thought was a good age to get married, 23 out of 30 students said the best age to get married would be around 24 or 25.
"I just think people need to get out there and live before they decide to settle down," said junior Lydia Triplett. "For me, I want to know how to live on my own before I decide to take that step in case something does happen later on down the road, and I find myself alone."
However, there are many perks to getting married at a younger age instead of waiting until you have a successful career. You learn the hard lessons of life with someone. You don’t really get to waste a lot of money because you probably aren’t starting out with much. You also get to share important milestones together such as buying your first car or building your first house together. Even the National Marriage Project’s 2013 report showed that the most satisfied 20-something year olds are married. There has to be something to young marriage then, right?
According to an article on msn.com, one woman believes getting married young was the best thing to happen to her.
"When you are young, you are not so much set in your ways," said Mary Sauer, author of the article. "It is easier to adjust to living with another person. You also have a built-in support system while figuring out what career paths you want to take."
Both of my parents were young when they got married, and the same goes for my fiance’s parents. Both sets of parents have been together for over 20 years and are still happily married.
“I never dreamed of getting married so young (age 19), but when you find the one you love, you just really want to settle down and start your life with them,” said Diane Brewer, my fiance’s mother.
Research over the last several decades has demonstrated that women who postpone marriage are less likely to divorce, more likely to attain economic stability for themselves, and more likely to express satisfaction with their family and work commitments, according to an article on the CNN website.
However, I don’t think it can be assumed all women or men who wait longer to get married are doing it to give themselves better odds of a lasting marriage or so they will be more satisfied with their work commitments. Yes, I think waiting could be smarter for some individuals while they work toward becoming a doctor or lawyer, but wouldn’t you like to have that support system to come home to and tell about your day? Having someone with whom you can experience the ups and downs of life seems like a better way for you and that person to grow together, which would lead to a healthier and stronger marriage.
I’ve been with my fiance for over five years now, and if I weren’t in this relationship, I probably wouldn’t feel the same way about marriage as I do. I find myself constantly telling my friends to go out and live life and enjoy it because someday you’ll find someone to settle down with and your views may change. My decision to get married at a young age is based on my own opinion on how I want to begin my life outside of college.
