"Don't Let It Get The Best Of You"

Getting married at such a young age isn't exactly the smartest decision to make. You have to know yourself and the person you're getting yourself in involved with. You have to be happy and know what you want. From the very beginning, you set goals and expectations for yourself. Don't go any lower than those you have set. According to LJ Weitzman, "These young mothers and older women experience a 73% decline in their standard of living (many have to sell their homes) while their husbands average a 42% increase in theirs."

This is a true story coming from a young, 24-year-old woman that has been through it all: graduating high school, marriage, children, owned her own business, been divorced, owned a home, found her "soul mate," and had another child. She got married at 18 and had her first child at 19. She was raised to be indepdent. She never really relied on anyone. Of course, going through her divorce, her parents were there to support her. They gave her and her son a place to live until they could get back on their feet. Being an independent woman, that didn't last for long and she bought a house before the divorce was even final.

Her and her ex came from two very different families. He was from a "high class" family, where she was from a middle class family who worked everyday of their lives to get what they needed. He thought money grew on trees. Most of the timee, statistically financial problems are the main reason for divorce. Six months after the divorce, she found the love of her life. He was going through a divorce at about the same time. Life does get better after divorce! "I thought up this quote one day, shortly after my separation, and have lived by it ever since. “Good things don’t happen to people. People make good things happen.”

She would love to be a stay at home mom, but she doesn't want to rely on the man shes loves completely in financial areas. She wants to work her way through this. There was light at the end of the tunnel for her. Don't give up on a good thing!

Images are from flikr.