Photo courtesy of Yummies 4 Tummies via Flickr

Despite the dire statistics surrounding the state of marriage in the United States, I never really had friends with divorced parents when I was growing up. We all trusted that our parents would be one unit for as long as we needed them to be and as far as I can remember none of us ever feared that they would decide to go their separate ways. Luckily, we each got to the other side of adolescence with the same amount of stability that we entered with.

Over 25 years after they tied the knot my parents are still married. But even with a brilliant model to show me that marriage doesn’t always have to have an expiration date, I harbor a fear that some 10-20 years down the road I’ll be filing my own divorce papers. Maybe it’s just because I’m always afraid that things won’t work out just right, but I think it might have more to do with the fact that I find it hard to believe that one person will fulfill me until the day I die.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of marriage and all that it comes with, I’m just not entirely trusting of my own ability to choose that perfect person. So if that certificate ever comes with a guarantee, then I’ll be the first one to walk down the aisle.