Guess Who's Getting Married?

“Love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life: time. Marriage is not the end of romance, it is the beginning.”- Esther Perel

In a  former career that included facilitating couple counseling sessions I was occasionally asked “So what makes you some kind of expert on marriage, anyway?”
And while familiar with the dynamics of relationships and possessing some knowledge of techniques that could at times provide a bit of a boost for faltering marriages, I always admitted that my part in assisting them had more to do with objectivity than expertise.
And that I was certainly no expert on marriage. No one is.

Each committed relationship is as unique as the individuals who create the coupleship.
And successful unions tend to be couples who have a lot in common.
As well as those who are nearly polar opposites. 

That’s right, a meat loving carnivore and her staunch vegetarian husband face the challenges of mealtime while their neighbors, a pair of sushi lovers  revel in their raw fish feast. Or maybe he loves U of M and she went to State but their friends met at halftime of a Notre Dame game in the season ticket section. 

It’s all in how the twosome experiences their journey because, above all, marriage is indeed a journey. Ideally a lengthy and fascinating adventure voyage accompanied by your best friend.
Not always easy, not always even close to easy, but part of the package is getting through some perilous times and weathering the changes each person experiences over the passage of time.
And despite 48 years of experience I’m still no expert.
But man, it has been one great ride.

Here are those who recently signed on for their own journey:
 
Krystal Newhouse, White Cloud & MaKail Root, Big Rapids
Chelsea Sidlauskas, Fremont & James Johnson, Newaygo
Edward Welch, White Cloud & Joanne Hensley, White Cloud
Ashley DeVries, White Cloud & Chris LaFond, White Cloud
Jordan Chase, Fremont & Rebecca Somers, Fremont
Jacob Mayle, Newaygo & Sydnie Grinzinger, Newaygo
John Stempien, Coldwater & Nicole Gee, Traverse City
Heather Turner, Fremont & Rhonda Turner, Morenci
Becky Snippe, Fremont & Kevin Payne, Cedar Springs
Devin Grimwood, White Cloud & Jaydene Vanavery, White Cloud
Allan Beye Jr. White Cloud  & Kianna Beye, White Cloud

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