I do...
Is it just me or does everyone think that marriage can be right at any age?
There’s a very young couple in new south wales battling the courts for the right to be married. 19 year old Wayne and his 17 year old fiance Zara have been told by a judge they don’t have a good enough excuse to get married, and she wants them to go away and improve their relationship.
Apparently Wayne and Zara have been seeing each other for more than three years, they live together, sleep in the same bed and even have their parents' blessing – it’s on the court that thinks they shouldn’t marry.
Under NSW law, one member of a couple has to be over 18 years of age and if the under-aged person is between 16 and 18, there must be a court order giving permission. Nobody under 16 is allowed to marry in Australia.
I don’t encourage marriage at such a young age. But there are thousands of elderly couples in Australia today who married when they were 17 and 19…and they’re living proof that you can know your own mind at such a young age.
John and I got engaged when I was 19…married when I was 20… I know that’s not going to be for everyone. I know there were lots of people who thought my Mum was mad giving it her unqualified blessing. But Mum knew me and she knew John and I – we weren’t idiots (and hasn’t it all come up roses...)
Marrying young is not always going to be right...I know that. My sister got married at nineteen and it didn’t last, but that because she married someone who annoyed the crap out of her, not because there’s anything wrong with the institution itself…
Marriage is always going to be a gamble – but like I said before there are thousands and thousands of couples who married young living well in Australia. We should give kids of today the same credit. You can know what you want at 17. You can know love. And you should be respected enough to make choices for yourself.
There’s a very young couple in new south wales battling the courts for the right to be married. 19 year old Wayne and his 17 year old fiance Zara have been told by a judge they don’t have a good enough excuse to get married, and she wants them to go away and improve their relationship.
Apparently Wayne and Zara have been seeing each other for more than three years, they live together, sleep in the same bed and even have their parents' blessing – it’s on the court that thinks they shouldn’t marry.
Under NSW law, one member of a couple has to be over 18 years of age and if the under-aged person is between 16 and 18, there must be a court order giving permission. Nobody under 16 is allowed to marry in Australia.
I don’t encourage marriage at such a young age. But there are thousands of elderly couples in Australia today who married when they were 17 and 19…and they’re living proof that you can know your own mind at such a young age.
John and I got engaged when I was 19…married when I was 20… I know that’s not going to be for everyone. I know there were lots of people who thought my Mum was mad giving it her unqualified blessing. But Mum knew me and she knew John and I – we weren’t idiots (and hasn’t it all come up roses...)
Marrying young is not always going to be right...I know that. My sister got married at nineteen and it didn’t last, but that because she married someone who annoyed the crap out of her, not because there’s anything wrong with the institution itself…
Marriage is always going to be a gamble – but like I said before there are thousands and thousands of couples who married young living well in Australia. We should give kids of today the same credit. You can know what you want at 17. You can know love. And you should be respected enough to make choices for yourself.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home