I Do

    Given that we have blazed through summer a.k.a. wedding season it seems appropriate to write briefly on this topic. I recently attended the wedding of my Tangeni sister Tankia (pictured left).  It was a fabulous wedding and I was reminded of the joys of true love.  The bride and groom were geeked with love, and those who stood with them at the alter shared their heartfelt words of support at the reception. Despite high divorce rates, I will say this is couple not is an exception. Many people have been happily married for a few days or many years. I want this some day, but recognize that it is far more than a ring and a wedding. As an unmarried woman I have been in frequent reflection of the huge commitment that comes with this union. There is sunshine and rain, heartache and pain, and just because you have someone lying next to you at night doesn’t mean you won’t ever be lonely. As one woman shared in her interview it took her 16 minutes to get married and if it had been with wrong man it could have been a lifetime of hell. Lucky for her, it was with the right man….but she had a great point.
    In addition to married women I am interviewing single women, divorced women, widowed women, and women who have life long unions with other women. I will be bold and prematurely assume that the common take home message from all of these interviews will be, “If you're going to have a life partner, it’s got to be with the right person and you’ve got to be committed.”
    With all of this in mind I encourage women, and challenge our society, to celebrate marriage and singleness. Enjoy whichever state you are in and be open to the tremendous love and learning of yourself and others that can be found there.