Sedona,

No apology necessary.  Your ramblings and musings are always welcome and appreciated.

Marriage, like every other human endeavour, is a very individual thing.  Even within a marriage, you're likely to find differing opinions on the subject.  

I think that as a society, we put too much pressure on marriage.  "Sanctity" is often confused with "possession" and that leads to trouble.  Monogamy happens by a mutual choice made from within, not from without by rules or laws.

It's been said in this forum that no one can be everything to anyone, and I agree.  Unfortunately, that's what society seems to demand of husbands and wives for each other.  

I want something simpler than that: companionship.  I want someone to wake up next to, start my day with, think about with a smile during the day, steal away for noontime trysts with, laugh with, cry with, argue with, converse with, be quiet with, hold hands with, make love with, raise a child with, share events with, go to sleep with.  I want someone who likes her solitude as much as I like mine, but finds comfort in the fact that her solitude is a respected choice, because she knows she could be in my arms in a heartbeat.  I want someone who knows that neither of us is perfect nor will be, but challenges me to keep moving in that direction anyway...and loves that I do the same for her.  Above all, I want to marry a woman who is honest about her thoughts and feelings, with herself and with me.  

Oh, Lord...I've made this post about me.  Sorry...it's supposed to be about you.

May you find happiness of the heart, Sedona...in whatever form that takes for you.

Happy Valentine's Day,
Yoda

I, for one, didn't find it rambling. I certainly saw no disrespect or attempt to undermine anyone's marriage. You simply asked what the uproar was over gay marriage, considering something like 60% of "normal" marriages end in divorce. That 60% figure has led you to conclude that many marriages seem to be a joke or a farce.