What Do You Think of the Term "Failed Marriage"?by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger 13 Nov 2007 03:25 PM Recently, I have read a few online articles that referred to divorce as a "failed marriage." I am sure that I've seen and read this term before, but for some reason it just now started to get to me. Perhaps it is because so many years have passed and so much water has swooshed under that bridge that I see all the benefits and blessings and lessons that have come to be both from my marriage and my divorce (not to mention my many years as a single parent.) For me, it doesn't feel like a failure at all... It is no wonder we single parents wrestle with self esteem issues-with terms like "broken home" and "failed marriage" it is as if nothing positive could possibly come from the process that births a single parent family. Of course, those of us who live through it know that this isn't necessarily the case. Why is that no one ever refers to a "blessed divorce" or a serendipitous single parent family? And, why is it that because a marriage or a relationship ends or morphs into something quite different than its original intent, it is referred to as "failed"? I still interact with my children's father and we have been much more fantastic and cooperative as separate co-parents than we ever were as spouses. This feels like a success to me, not a failure. Plus, how can our kids possible feel good and positive about their family scene as long as we have phrases like this one hanging around our vernacular? So, what do you think of the term "failed marriage"? Do you think it is apt and fitting? Or do you think we ought to come up with something better or drop it from our terminology all together? I'd love to hear some other opinions... Also: Broken Home? Combating the Stigma of Divorce and Separation Learn more about Kori Rodley Irons  Bio has been removed by administrator Relevantsingle parenting tags User Comments  oweirdo (33643) 13 Nov 2007 07:46 PMI came from that "broken home." But it was not broken to me, it was so much better without having my dad around. My mom was not in so much pain, I was not living in fear of that man. Failed, broken, these are words of discouragement, when lots of the time we need encouragement. Blessed divorce, I like that. Each year mom and I celebrate her divorce, as her new life anniversary. Community Tags divorce, failed marriage, language Discuss this article
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