Now I pronounce you man and wife"Will you marry me?" These four words can change a person's life. They can start a life and they can also end a life. What exactly is marriage? The dictionary defines marriage as any close or intimate association or union. There are more people today who are afraid of this type of commitment than there were years ago. On the other hand, there are those who think that marriage is something to do because you are bored. For them it's a joke. As a firm believer in the ethics of marriage, its value is something to appreciate. A personal definition defines marriage as “a commitment, a partnership, until death do us part” (Sanchez). Lou Sanchez, an 80-year-old woman, raised three children alone. Lou and Andrew were married for 18 years before Andrew died in a terrible accident. This may be shocking news, but Lou hasn't remarried since. She believed that Andrew was the only man for her. For this reason she decided to raise her children alone and remain a widow. (Sanchez) Another point of view would be: “getting married is not worth it, it is harmful, it can destroy human lives” (Hernandez). Rick Hernandez, a 37-year-old man who has never been married nor would ever like to be married, believes marriage is a waste of time. Rick has been in love before, but believes that people don't need to get married to express this love. Instead of thinking that marriage is a fundamental commitment, believe that it is just a piece of paper that binds you legally. (Hernandez) It's funny how a union for two people can have different results. Could this be due to the reasons why people decide to get married? Can these reasons predict the fate of one's marriage? Years ago marriage had value and meaning. Today, marriage feels… middle of paper… lived in. Couples who have made marriage work for them and others around them. I can imagine it's not easy, but anything that's easy probably isn't worth as much. I believe this to be true, in all cases. To get married and know why you did it, years after you got married; Well, that's true love. Works CitedBeam, Joe. "How do I know if I'm in love?" Beam Research Center Formerly "LovePathInternational" JoeBeam.com, 1999. Web. March 10, 2012. Emery, Robert E. "The Truth About Children and Divorce." Emeryondivorce.com. RobertEmery, 2006. Web. March 20, 2012. Pesce, Jefferson. "Looking in the cultural mirror." Psychology Today (1991). Network. March 20, 2012.Hernandez, Rick. Personal interview. March 10, 2012.Random House Dictionary. Dictionary.com. Random House Unabridged, 2012. Web.10 March 2012. Sanchez, Lupe. Personal interview. March 8. 2012.