What's Love Got To Do With It?

[Jennifer Piersol]

Well, I'm definitely not in the running for 
longest marriage (we're gonna celebrate 
anniversary #7 next April), but I wanted to 
respond because I'm one of those kids who 
married young.  I met Chris when I was 19... 
and we married a month before I turned 22.  
Now, I'm not disputing that some young people 
that get married just don't know what they're 
getting into, and then divorce when they hit 
their first rough spot.  One of my best 
friends got married when she was 20.  She 
made it with her husband (who I absolutely 
adored - he was a wonderful guy) to my 
wedding, then told me 2 weeks later they were 
going to get a divorce.  Why?  Because she 
decided that 21 (she turned 22 4 days after I 
did) was too young to be married, and she 
regretted not dating more people first.

Well.

6 1/2 years into my marriage, I just can't 
imagine finding anyone better for me.  Chris 
and I are best friends - sure, we fight, but 
we have never fought for more than a couple 
of days about something.  We both have hot 
tempers that flare up and then cool right 
off, so that it's rare that either of us can 
stay mad for more than a few hours at a time.  
Actually, sometimes that in itself makes me 
mad, because sometimes he does something I 
REALLY hate (like doesn't listen to me), and 
I *want* to be mad at him for a week or 
two... but it just doesn't keep. :)  And even 
though I sometimes wonder "what if..." (Chris 
is the only person I've ever slept with), I 
quickly decide that there's no point in 
wondering if the grass is greener somewhere 
else, because it just *couldn't* be.  I can't 
imagine finding anyone else who is such a 
wonderful match both physically, mentally, and 
spiritually for me.  Even though I have 
"weight issues" (mostly body self-image), he 
still comes up behind me and gooses me in the 
kitchen...  He can *always* make me laugh, 
even if I'm in a funk and have been crying for 
the past hour.  I can always make him laugh, 
too... and where am I ever going to find 
another guy like that, who's also cute, 
intelligent, and agrees with me completely 
about raising our kids?

So not *every* marriage that begins at a 
young age is doomed to failure.  Maybe these 
days it's most... but not every.

-Jen, who even loves all but one of her in-laws!