If you went to a wedding this summer, there is a better-than-even chance that the happy couple was already living together. Today, more than 65 percent of first marriages start out that way. Fifty years ago, it was closer to 10 percent.
Cohabitation before marriage, once frowned upon, is now almost a rite of passage, especially for the millennial generation. Young adults born after 1980 are more likely to cohabit than any previous generation was at the same stage of life, according to the Pew Research Center. With more than 8 million couples currently cohabiting, it is obviously a living arrangement with appeal ”” but it is also one with unique challenges.
Claire Noble and Charlie Sharbel are among those who have decided to share the keys to an apartment. They are both 27 years old and have been living together in Washington, D.C., since August.
I saw a piece, I think it was a [i]New York Times[/i] video, about a husband caring for his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife at home. It was a very poignant video, and it reminded me that these vows we make before God and the community on our wedding day are not a straightjacket; they are an ever-present support. I am extremely grateful for that.