The Retaking of Vows

Many couples weather the stress and drama of their younger years, and it is often the doldrums after the children have left that give them time to wonder if their relationship is still valid. They have supported each other through the thick times when everything went well for a while, and they have survived the thin times when there was not enough of anything. Now, they have achieved many of their life dreams, and they wonder if life with their partner holds anything more.

During the early years, couples are busy building the foundations of their life, and they have little time to do more than wonder fleetingly if they have made the right choice in a partner. As they begin their family or embark on their career, the support they give each other will often carry them through any doubts they might entertain about their partnership.

Crisis is common as people progress through life, and many couples have found it brings them closer. Their vows to stay together have brought them through many times when they might not have survived alone, and they are often grateful as their family flourishes that they made the promise. As life winds down to retirement and an empty nest, those vows might seem stretched too thin. Some of them might see the failures of their life and blame it on a partner, or they might feel they have not gained what they originally sought from their relationship.

The retaking of vows for a mature couple is a reaffirmation of this life together, and it often comes at a time when they need something to boost their relationship. For many of them, the drama of life is well past. Rather than enjoying the rest and relaxation they have earned, they are still in high emotional gear that will test their vows. Retaking them in front of family and friends is often a good way to help them make the adjustment to a completely new and different lifestyle.