Marriage In Vegas

If you're going to the chapel anytime soon then you may want to take the advice of a former client who shared with me that getting married and having children in today's world is not what it's cracked up to be.  She shared this with me just after her third divorce was finalized.  "It's not that I want to spend the rest of my life feeling lonely but love just fizzles after a year and the commitment is gone.  You could say the same about employers and even college these days.  The divorce rate for a first divorce is well-over 50%.  If you knew that you'd only win 50% back of your money in Vegas would you play?  Not likely.  More importantly, the divorce rate for second marriages is 60-65%.  Again, would you play on those odds in Vegas?  And what if you knew the divorce rate for third marriages is close to 80%?  If I knew I'd win twice out of ten plays in Vegas I would eventually lose everything and that's her point.  To illustrate this point, I close with the example of my sister-in-law sharing with me and my wife about how wonderful her marriage will be because they were getting married at the Air Force Academy Chapel, a very awesome place to get married.  After some years, they became millionaires and no longer had time for children.  My question to them was, "Why did you get married?  You can be a childless couple and not get married?"  Sadly, they divorced for the sole reason that one wanted children and the other did not.  I think they knew this but didn't get honest about it.  Instead, they played Vegas odds and are now in search of a love that ends in 60-65% divorce instead of 50% which is where everyone stands when they go to the chapel for the first time.