Religion and Spirituality – Write on the World

For something people describe as sacred, romantic, and eternal, marriage in the United States is surprisingly bureaucratic. Before two people can be “married,” they need a government-issued license. A clerk records the paperwork. A legal framework determines how assets will be divided if the relationship ends. And in many cases, the couple signs the same basic legal agreement that millions of other couples sign, whether it suits their lives or not. In other words, marriage—at least in the eyes of the state—is already a contract. We just pretend it isn’t.

Two ways to say “I do”: one sacred, one legal—both important, both separate.

The confusion comes from the fact that in modern culture, two completely different institutions are treated as though they are the same thing: religious marriage and legal marriage. They are not.

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I started a new yoga class this week. It’s been a while. I don’t know why I quit. Two classes in, I can feel the crickle-crackle working its way out of tense muscles. I came home after class and scribbled down some poetry. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow last night rather than tossing and turning all night in an attempt to sleep on the side that aches the least.

This morning, I could hardly wake up. I am usually awake by the time my older son leaves for school, but today he had to wake me to tell me goodbye. Then I fell right back to sleep. My alarm went off twenty minutes later, signaling me to get up and get my younger son off to school. I hit the snooze button. Continue reading “Take care of yourself” →