6 non-awkward reasons why being married is better than dating

Working at Taco Del Mar has been so much fun so far. I am getting the hang of things now, and really starting to get to know my co-workers (goodbye loneliness! ). I always do find it odd though, that they ask me so many questions about being married...like I am some sort of experiment or something? Hahaha.

I thought I had heard it all, but just last week one of my co-workers asked me "So, what is the difference between being in a serious relationship and being married? Why is it so great?"


UHH? Okay, I gave the lamest reasons. I think I said something about sharing the work load....

YEAH,ITWASTHATBAD.

Truth is, being married is so much better than having a slave to kill spiders for you. I am not sure if I could ever adequately express why being married is so great, but after some more thought, I think its time to attempt this question again. Without further ado, here are 6 (non-awkward) reasons why being married is better than dating.

1. God wants us to be married and create families.
Really, I shouldn't have to say anything more than that. Relationships in general are great and all, and they provide some nice opportunities. Committing yourself to a covenant marriage, now that's a whole different ball game. The glue that holds society together is the family. How wonderful it is to have the opportunity to build a marriage on the teachings of Jesus Christ, raise a family together, and grow. While I think marriage is all too often viewed as "the refiners fire", living and working with any companion gives you a great opportunity to see where your weaknesses lie, and also learn to sacrifice some things to help another person receive even greater joy. Love can do some pretty powerful things.

But let's be honest. That answer isn't going to satisfy many of the kids I talk to on a regular basis. So, random TDM employee, this is for you.

2. Teamwork.
I like to think of myself as a pretty smart individual. I can remember a fair bit, I get decent grades, and I can pick things up pretty quickly. Now multiply that times two. Being in a marriage means that you have full access to two, experienced, adult brains, ready to solve problems. I have been married almost two months, and already there have been countless times where I just cannot figure something out, and Derek is like "have you thought of...." "what about....". GENIUS. We don't always know all the answers, but we are starting to get things down.

Now, this isn't all just intellectual though. Sometimes it means that I come home from work, and after standing all day, I get a foot rub. Couldn't ask for better teamwork than that! Thanks honey! ;)

3. Start your lives together.
So many people put off marriage because they don't want to "settle down" while they are young. Excuse me?! We are just getting started! Together, we can create any life we want to! Why wait until all your creativity and spontaneity is gone to be like "okay, now I will introduce them to my life..."! That is so boring! Instead of going on adventures solo, we get to do it together! Having a partner in crime for your crazy antics is the best.

4. Work it out.
Lest we come off as the couple that never argues about anything and just laughs stuff off-- NOT ALWAYS TRUE. Getting upset with someone you love so much is probably one of the suckiest things ever. Unfortunately, it happens. When it does happen, though, Derek and I are both on board to find the best solution. We are both human, and we both make mistakes. At the end of the day, we work through things to get back to what we really love: each other.

5. Safety.
This is probably going in a different direction than you think. I mean, physically, its nice to have a man around to walk with you to the door or pick you up from work, but there is a lot more to it than just that. Derek makes me feel safe. I am not quite sure how it happens. It probably builds over time and I was too distracted to really notice it. But Derek has created a little world for me where no one gets by making me feel awful. It's not that he even confronts the person, but he certainly confronts the idea. Derek is my biggest protector. I have never felt safer to live my life and to go and pursue my dreams. I wish I could be better at doing the same thing for him. Lucky for both of us, its never to late to start trying :)

6. People finally take you seriously.
Let's just admit it, most people are going to break up with a couple people before they decide to tie the knot. Pretty much everyone views your relationship as a dispensable object unless you are over 25. This can be super frustrating when you finally find the person you want to marry. You know you REALLY love them, you have talked about marriage, you have started to work out logistics, and-- oh wait, you guys are still "just" dating. No matter what you pour into that relationship, you don't get any R-E-S-P-E-C-T without a R-I-N-G.

Not to mention, being married makes people think you are responsible and dependable. My boss was super excited to know that I was married. Even though I am a few years younger than a lot of the people I work with, my employers view me as more of a "grown up" and actually treat me a fair bit differently. It's actually a nice benefit that I am still getting used to. :)

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We love being married. We aren't marriage experts, but I don't think anyone really is. Life is crazy, but we are in it together. We spend most of our time laughing. A lot of the time laughing at each other. Life is great :)