As I approach a time in life where marriage is not only an option, it's a soon to be inevitable action, I thought perhaps putting some brain power into the idea was, well a good idea.
First off, what is marriage? Second, how will it be effected by my aspergers. Third, and most important, will it make me happy until my dying breath.
Third, perhaps not all the time, but I can work with that. I think one of the more important parts of a relationship is learning how to have a disagreement, or a bad day, without having a fight. While many would say I'm very independent, and for the most part emotionless, it's not all that true. Lot's of emotions all at once, especially bad ones, usually are a huge negative impact on my mood, sometimes my day, and even longer than a week. A bad fight in a relationship I don't feel is very strong, is quite often the end of it. That being said, I've only ever had about two relationships I do feel stable and comfortable in my life. One of them, I let get too far, without pulling back and taking a much needed step out of.
A good marriage for me, would be able to work out issues with both parties satisfied, feeling loved, and ultimately ending in a situation than was better than before. Without that factor, I'd constantly be unhappy, unsatisfied, and asking myself why I got married to this person in the first place. It's a type of security to me, and in a sense where I find my happiness. I could just as easily avoid fights all together by not being with anyone at all, so it's usually my 'go-to' answer. Marriage would feel in a way, like being trapped, into this commitment where avoiding fights by being alone isn't an option. It's where my happiness depends on my interactions with this other being, and it isn't just about me and my feelings, and what I want.
Going in reverse, second, my aspergers. This makes "third" more difficult. It took me many years in life to be at a point where human relationships are even a possibility. But I'm a fast learner, and I catch on. Taking psy classes where helpful, and learning and reading more about aspergers and human interaction helped. If you knew me 7 years ago, you wouldn't know who I am now. Putting myself in your situation, and understanding how what I did hurt you? That wasn't me. Not that I wouldn't feel bad, I just wouldn't feel like it was my fault. And I still to this day, have a saying in my mind where if I didn't hurt someone on purpose it's not my fault, but I know it shouldn't mean I didn't do anything wrong at all. Do I feel I'm far enough along in life to be in a healthy marriage? Honestly, not really. I'm not sure if it's my nerves talking, or if I really mean that. But I'll never know unless I work really hard at it. And I've always been the type of person to learn by doing, and I know that with love, real love, I can.
Which brings me to my first question, what is marriage. More specifically, what is marriage to me, what am I expecting from it, and what do I want it to be. To most people marriage is a diamond ring, a wedding, children, and a home to put your christmas tree in. Marriage isn't a soft topic for me, it's not a time of year, the biggest day of your life, having a baby, it's not even about me at all. When I think of marriage, I think of what life is like in 20-30-40 years, and am I happy? What is going to happen between the space of now, and 35 years from now? What is every day waking up to the same person going to be like? And will my love change and fluctuate, can we deal with that? Could I see myself being homeless with this person? Could I see myself being incredibly rich with them? What do the bad days look like? And most important, is he going to love me every single moment, of every single day, of every year, for the next....50 years? If there was ever a reason for him to stop loving me, what's that reason?
You always hear about married couples saying the love just died. How did it get there? What happened from the moment you decided to spend the rest of your life with this person, to now deciding that is exactly opposite of what you wanted. How may of those people look back and actually regret being divorced but just can't admit it? How many wished they would have tried harder? And devils advocate, how many people who have been married for 40 years wish they would have left along time ago?
What makes marriage, literally marriage? Is it the paper you sign? Is it the pact to love each other forever with a get-out-of-jail-free card? You can ask 40 different people, and I bet they would all have a different answer.
I think you have to start by asking, is this the life you want always? Would I be content never being extremely wealthy? Are my life goals aligned with his? Do we enjoy the same things? Does only one of you want children, and in that case, does age really matter? Because the life you build together is the very foundation of your marriage in the first place. And if a key factor isn't aligned, you are already off to a bad start. Hard things to talk about right?
And none of these notions seem romantic, but hard to argue illogical.
You put on your dress, you tell everyone where the flowers go, tell the photographer to shoot this, put on your borrowed shoes, no one dares ask why. Why are you deciding to marry this person, this one specifically, or why marry at all; what you think the right reasons are and why. Most weddings I've attended as a guest I've asked my mind, why they where getting married...what is the point? But never asked out loud...that I remember. Even worse the weddings where everyone won't say it, but they are all betting against you, and in the end they are correct. I've been to more than one of those.
I doubt it's very vain of existence, until I look at you. Look at you, prostrated, from your ten hour day at work, gone the moment you hit the pillow, soundly, but with the sweetness and gentleness your heart expels. I realize I love none more, how could I ever. Knowing that's the face I want to sleep next to every night. The one I crave to be woken up to. I cling on to every breath of his, like a child learning a language. I adore his face, the way it's open, breathing deeply. The softness of his hair when I run my hands threw it, and the gratification I get when I kiss his forehead. It's this I know, I've never felt before, extreme euphoria. A feeling I'd like to hold on to, as long as I possibly can.
How I know it's you, the exception to my mind, to ration, to logic. But still without doubt, no matter what marriage actually is, or what it should be, that I just want to be with you...always; every morning, every night, every moment in-between, for as many moments as you breath.
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