Mawwige is Whut Bwings Us Togevveh Today

     My last blog post I wrote about dating and courtship. This post is going to be the next two steps, engagement and marriage. These are topics where I, personally, have absolutely no experience with. However, I have seen others as they go through these steps.

    The engagement period is a very important time to get to know each other. You are still going on dates and learning what you can about the other person. It is during this time that it is important for you and your significant other to take the time and discuss specific things. One of those things could be about expectations. What are you going to expect from your partner during marriage?

    There are a lot of things that you should talk about and not just wait to see what happens when certain situations arise. It is a good idea to talk about whether you want children, and if you do, how many you want. You can discuss how much time is going to be spent with each other’s families, and what you are going to do for holidays. I think it is very important to set up plans for once you are married. That way you already know how you are going to handle your finances, or how much time you are going to spend together or with friends.

    Something my teacher has been saying is, “don’t plan a wedding, plan a marriage.” He talked about how planning the wedding should be done together so you can get used to making plans together, especially since you are planning something that is going to be the start of your lives together. This really gave me something to think on. I have always thought the bride plans the wedding while the groom plans the honeymoon. I guess that is what we are used to because it is part of our culture. It is what is ingrained in us.

    I really like the idea of planning the wedding ceremony as a couple. I know a lot of women, like myself, starts planning for their weddings long before they happen. I am often going over my weddings Pinterest board with others. We compare what our ideas are for our dream wedding. While I do have some strong opinions on what I would like, I can also see how it is important to include my future husband in the planning. Of course, I do not have a future husband yet. However, I like the idea of working together and creating unity, especially in something that is important to us and our families.

    Marriage is about finding that unity between the two of you. The best way I know how to create unity between people is to try to become closer to God. I like to think of a triangle, with God at the top and you and your spouse are the two points on the base. As you both work on becoming closer to your Heavenly Father, you automatically come closer together. I think a strong relationship with God is super important when it comes to the success of a marriage.

    I have had the immense privilege of being raised by righteous parents who are always striving to come closer to God and closer as a family. Even though my parents did not always tell us that they were working to involve God in our family unit, I could see it through their actions. They would take time to pray about choices that would affect the family. I also knew that they were doing their best to strengthen their individual relationships with Heavenly Father. As a young child, there were many mornings that I would go to my parents’ room and find them kneeling at their bedside in prayer. They were the perfect example to me. I strive to find and keep a relationship like theirs.