I'll be honest and say I find your tone rather patronizing and rose-colored. Many women did not have the option to opt out of marriage. If they were pregnant (and it's amazing how many "premature" babies were born then), they had less of a choice. It's hard enough in this day, I can't imagine how it was then when the world looked upon you as a harlot. Ultimately, who is to say that marriage should be the end goal for anyone, really, much less one that lasts for decades? Studies incidate most women born in the 40's would not have married (that young or that person) had they really had a choice. Many would have loved to study, work or travel. In fact, Since 1990, the divorce rate for Americans over 50+ has doubled. The majority of these divorces are to first marriages (the very ones described as being ideal). Divorce is no worse than being married out of habit, obligation or fear. Don't get me wrong, these pictures are wonderful, but they are outliers. That is what makes them special.

I think it's easy for people, emotional humans that we are to confuse desire with love. We're sold a certain idea of love, but it's hard work - it's being with another person who's similar but different than you. Compromising, learning from each other...being less selfish, i mean fundamentally this is really hard and especially for the younger folks I think because we are raised to be individualistic and competitive. Imagine how hard it must be to selfless love someone!!! I'm just glad that so far...knock on wood i'm with a person of extraordinary patience for 16+ years, and wish that everyone finds that friend or soulmate.

I agree with you. I just celebrated by 52nd birthday this month, two weeks earlier my parents celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary as well. Still together during my father's 22 years in the US Navy with a least a dozen of overseas deployments in a war and numerous conflicts while we stayed home, now 32 years of working side by side in their small business. Needless to say my generation doesn't seem to stick together like theirs do.