‘When Are You Getting Married?’
The New York Times
The holiday season can sometimes lead to uncomfortable quizzing from meddlesome friends and family members about when you and your partner plan to wed. Here’s how to respond.
There are a few things that I know will likely happen during holiday family gatherings. My 7-year-old son will show an embarrassingly small amount of gratitude for any gift that isn’t a toy; my 3-year-old son will hurt himself jumping off furniture; and someone from my extended family will ask me when the boys’ father and my partner of eight years plans on proposing. This will force me to say the same thing I say every year: not anytime soon.
We’re hardly alone in such thinking. Studies have shown that many young couples prefer to cohabitate rather than marry; and about a quarter of parents living with a child are unwed. Societal views on marriage have also shifted, with the vast majority of Americans now believing it’s acceptable for a couple to live together sans wedding plans.
Of course, not everyone has accepted nontraditional relationship paths, especially in more conservative circles.
