Welcome to the House of Marriage

 What a happy and holy fashion it is that those who love one another should rest on the same pillow.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Seventh House, of course, is the house of partnership and marriage. This month, the first happy weddings are being celebrated, after the third most populous state in America struck down the laws preventing same-sex marriage.

Even as this triumph is cheered (and it’s about damn time!),  in heterosexual partnerships, especially in the middle and poorer classes, divorce continues to rise.

Condemned as immoral only 40 years ago, cohabitation without marriage doesn’t shock anyone anymore. It is pretty much an ordinary lifestyle choice now for many straight couples. In fact, over two-thirds of high school seniors feel that living together before getting married is a good idea.

And according to the University of Virginia report, “State of Our Unions – Marriage in America in 2010,” the number of opposite sex, unmarried couples living together with at least one child has more than doubled since the 1960s.

The New York Times recently reported, “Married couples have dropped below half of all American households for the first time, the Census Bureau says, a milestone in the evolution of the American family toward less traditional forms.

“Married couples represented just 48 percent of American households in 2010, according to data being made public Thursday [May 26, 2011] and analyzed by the Brookings Institution. This was slightly less than in 2000, but far below the 78 percent of households occupied by married couples in 1950.”

So I think it is really ironic.. okay, maybe hypocritical ..  that people touting “family values” are upset about gay marriage.  In fact, if there is any trend that will shore up the institution of marriage, it may very well be thanks to same-sex couples.

So to all those who at last are able to solemnize their commitment, and be recognized by the laws of the land – whatever your sex or gender or combination thereof.. Congratulations! Welcome to the House of Marriage.

May your lives together be forever blessed.