Traditional Marriage

The crisp, clear sparkle of a diamond ring has long represented the sanctity of marriage. The traditional diamond engagement ring holds along with the white wedding gown, the exchanged possession of the bride, the requisite of virginity as well as a life of inferiority and obligation for the bride. As women continue to break free from the many chains that have bound them for so very long, our societal ties to this vacant gemstone should be torn as well. With so many lovely gemstones that shine with their own unique colors, we have too many options with which to express the distinctiveness of each relationship to default to something as devoid of character as the classic diamond engagement ring. From the brilliantly and fantastically colored …show more content…
Our society is maturing and women are now able to choose for themselves what societal roles they will fulfill. Women are not merely demanding their rights, but men, too, have become increasingly invested in what is best for all. Many men have long understood and many are coming to understand that they, too, lose when denied the contributions their female peers have in times past been unable to make. While the patriarchy continues to crumble, artifacts lay among the ruins that continue to remind us of the standards and moral models from whence we came. Unfortunately, the traditional marriage concept persists, hindering our growth, both as individuals who partake in marriage and as a unified group of citizens who continue to represent love and committed fidelity with an archaic symbol of the domination of one gender over another. Men wishing to express their respect for their partners may powerfully do so with the simple act of choosing away from the …show more content…
People are becoming more tolerant, more accepting, and more educated. We have so much more to offer, both female and male, than generations past were not yet able to see. The traditional white wedding and diamond engagement ring can be appreciated for the purpose they have served, but their time has passed. Marriages of obligation and duty need no longer rule our hearts. We are individuals that desire to love and to be loved. As fairy tales have been indicating to us for generations, we are a people who desire uncommon love, love that stands out from the mundane and bourgeois; we want love that is passionate and real. Our marriages are love-based and must, therefore, rest on foundations of respect. There may be no better expression of love than to offer your loved one an endless expression of uniqueness, of individuality, of separation from what was prescribed for in favor of the inalienable rights of the individual to be self-defined. The expression of love and desire may only be regarded as genuine when the individual behind the expression is clearly seen. Rather than defaulting to outdated societal norms such as the classic diamond engagement ring, the self-expression of what love a relationship holds can be powerfully unleashed with innumerable choices amongst the many gemstones our very unique, life-giving planet has produced. Every marriage is its own inimitable manifestation of love. Such a rare and beautiful thing need not