Anonymous wrote:I'm one of these "foolish" women, except I'm the one who doesn't want to get married. A wedding sounds like a nightmare to me, and divorce is expensive. We own a house together, have a child together, have been together for nearly a decade, his mother lives with us -- the only thing we don't have is a legal piece of paper. I'm not sure we need one. We might do a courthouse wedding one of these days but maybe we won't. It just feels unnecessary. I have a career and can provide (more meagerly, admittedly) for myself and our child, and I am the sole beneficiary of his life insurance as he is for mine. He would pay child support if we split. So we have those bases covered.
I find it highly judgmental and obnoxious when the women and men on this board are so condescending to those who choose not to marry their long-term partners. Glass houses, people.
Anonymous wrote:What's the difference if they're married or not? Their relationship could be stronger than some married couples. If you are truly worried about your friend and want to tell her something, tell her to get a job. Other than that she's an adult.
Anonymous wrote:If you are a successful woman with a solid career, finances, and future prospects and can easily support your children without outside assistance, then being married is less important. You don't need the legal and financial protections that often come with marriage.
But this is an class issue and a class divide as well. Many if not most of us know of at least someone who stayed with a long term boyfriend who vaguely promised "marriage" someday and even had children, but the marriage never happened and after many years the relationship broke up and yep, the woman got screwed financially. Working and middle class women have a lot more to lose by not being married to their partners. Upper class women and successful professional women, far less so.
Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who wants to marry her partner of fourteen years, but he won't budge. They've lived together for five years and have a child together. She doesn't work. I worry about what would happen to her if (God forbid) their relationship doesn't work out. Am I wrong?
Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who wants to marry her partner of fourteen years, but he won't budge. They've lived together for five years and have a child together. She doesn't work. I worry about what would happen to her if (God forbid) their relationship doesn't work out. Am I wrong?
Anonymous wrote:I think it's foolish for women to judge what other women do.