Today, more and more adults, both here in the US and in Europe, are choosing to cohabitate, or live together. This may serve as a precursor to marriage, or another alternative to getting married. Though, attitudes towards this practice are becoming increasingly more accepting, some religious groups still advocate against it. It is very common for people who do not agree with this practice to focus on the “negative” statistic suggesting that most people who cohabitate eventually break up. Though this statistic is stressed often, I don’t know if it is should be viewed as bad. Maybe it was a good thing that these people ended things. Maybe they are actually better off without each other. Maybe these relationships were doomed for divorce from the beginning. Maybe that living situation really showed you what that person was like, and maybe that person is very different than the person you use to date.
Living together is a lifestyle choice. Just like many are free to choose who they want to be with and have sex with, some are even choosing how to define that love. Whether you have a ring on your finger or your cars are parked in the same garage, or whether you’re of the same sex, or different races, everyone is entitled to define what love means to them and how they express it. Just because someone is not married, does not mean they are not committed or not in love with their partner. Many times people feel trapped because they think there is only one way of doing it, one ring followed by another, marriage. There are many other options out there to explore. Explore what works for you best and don’t be worried about jumping through all the hoops.