Marriage is a moment of intense celebration. You have found that significant other that means so much to you, the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. However, we can’t ignore the statistics. We have all heard that 50% of marriages end in divorce, but that statistic is now very outdated as it referred to 1980s America. Today the number is actually much lower, closer to 39%. Still, that is a lot of marriages that end before the couple originally intended. While divorce is an upsetting time for all involved it should also be viewed as a moment of celebration because you are righting a wrong in your life and going back to the correct path. One woman recently showed the world just how to celebrate a divorce.
Anna O’Neill admits that she rushed into her second marriage. They met overseas and had a whirlwind romance, what felt like serendipity was actually a mix of lust, excitement, and alcohol. The couple was quickly married and even had a baby but by Christmas realized they were not right for each other and wanted a divorce. While this was an upsetting time, Anna realized it was the best thing for everyone involved.
Anna’s friends were a huge help during this tough time and when she got through it and finalized the divorce she wanted to find a unique way to thank them and close that chapter of her life. After a night with her friends, she was inspired with the perfect plan. A paint fight.
Anna decided to wear her incredibly expensive Alexander McQueen wedding dress (the same designer that Kate Middleton wore for her special day) and have a huge paint fight with her 6 friends. She filled up a bunch of nerf guns with paint, left out some buckets with paint and had some balloons filled as well. Then she and her friends let the paint fly. Anna says that the paint didn’t ruin the dress (it was pink, to begin with) and she plans to have it professionally cleaned and auctioned off with the benefits going to charity.
While many of us are not in the position to destroy our wedding dresses, some are. The point is not really about destroying the wedding dress. It is about looking at your divorce as a celebration instead of a disaster. While it is a clear indication that the marriage was not a success you can perhaps take some positive lessons from that experience. You can grow, be a stronger, better person, and continue on with your life. We often treat divorce as a dirty word, something that should be whispered about instead of spoken about openly. Yet 39% of marriages end in divorce. It could happen to anyone and is not a reflection on you, your partner, your life choices, or anything else. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.
The reason the divorce rate is declining is that people are getting married at a later age. In the past, people got married while they were young as it was seen as a natural step in life. Today people are waiting until they are far more financially secure. This usually means that they have lived with the person for longer and are sure they want to get married. However, during the marriage, things change and people change. Because you wanted to spend your life with someone when you were 25 does not mean that you should feel the same when you are 35 and changing your mind doesn’t make you evil, a fool, or anything else. It just means you have changed. Embrace the changes in your life and celebrate all-new chapters.
