According to dictionary. com, a marriage is a legally, religiously, or socially sanctioned union of persons who commit to one another. It is said that marriages are a special bond shared between two souls that tie the wedding knot after making a promise to be companions for a lifetime. It is the physical, mental, and spiritual union of souls. It may bring significant stability and substance to current relationships and plays huge roles in cultural diversity.

It is suppose to be a joyous moment where the foundation for a family is being created, love is being shared, and two people are living in harmony. Marriage is always depicted as something no less than out of a fairytale novel. So why does such a happy moment we all grow up to know, face some tough challenges? One reason couples transitioning into marriage face certain challenges is because when someone marries, they certain high expectations that one or even both of the couples can have about the married life.

This includes; age, cultural background, gender, family history, and marriage history. Many couples fail to see the hard work that it takes to create a healthy marriage. Couples are faced everyday with reality and have to share in each other’s life daily. Another challenge faced by couples transitioning to marriage is trying to acknowledge that they are ready to assume the roles of responsibility and adulthood. Moving into the world of adult roles and responsibility can place a lot of pressure on newly couples, which causes then to develop marital and family themes.

During the transition to marriage, couples must negotiate how they intend to act in accordance to their new roles. There are several roles that newly married couples can take; a conjugal role, counter roles, and role conflicts. Also, marital boundaries are always established. Those boundaries are placed there as a way to establish strategy and rules for people who are outside the marriage. This can be difficult if one partner has jealous tendencies.

Marriage doesn’t always come with difficult challenges, there are some positive benefits that couples do gain from being married. One is the emotional benefit of peace of mind stability. Being a married couple you can give each other emotional support through difficult times and help one another overcome obstacles when no one else is around. According to psychologist studies, just by having someone to share personal problems with it shows married people tend to have lower stress levels and low depression.

Another benefit of being married is the shared day-to-day living expenses (buzzle. com). Sharing costs can allow couples to settle their debt and save money for investing and retirement. For example, my uncle and his wife have been married for over forty years now. I have watched them during their relationship and I see how much happy it makes my uncle to have someone around to share his thoughts, feelings, and problems to. It’s like having a life long best friend that if they are the right person can make your life so much happier.