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Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt Engagement: Lessons For Everyday People

Brad Pitt proposed to Angelina Jolie with a custom designed diamond ring. See close up photos of the sparkling engagement ring below. Seven years and a brood of six little ones later, Brad seeks to make their union legally official by putting a ring on it.

“It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy,” Pitt’s manger Cynthia Pett-Dante confirmed the proposal as the gorgeous actress’ ring was spotted while at a private viewing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Chinese Galleries on Wednesday.

I know couples who have waited seven months before jumping the broom; I know fewer who have waited six children and seven years for the ring however. Is either instance incorrect or telling of what a looming marriage success rate will be?

I think both stories are cloaked in faith. Faith that the two are so aligned that ‘right now’ is good enough—shy of a magical number to say ‘I do.’ On the contrary, faith that a ring doesn’t solidify the two and when the two deem a right time, marriage will take place.

While I think the soon-to-be Pitts or any celebrity’s story cannot be our threshold of example on marriage, hugely because the makings of our worlds differ so greatly, they do serve as a talking point. For a complete understanding of their world, their relationship— the complexities and consistencies would need to be privy in understanding why and how they arrived at their current status—seven years, six babies prior to a trip down the aisle.

Though there are some newer instances of women proposing (to each their own), let’s go with the premise that men are the proposers—women, how long are you willing to wait for a proposal? Do you have a number? Would you particularly care to have the ring, if the relationship was to your likening?

Can we agree that many factors play a role in the intricacies of getting to the point of marriage and not just love alone? How families get along, how individuals respond in social settings, how successful mates are or will become, how many children either mate has which could possibly effect the potential number of children after marriage, potential mate current credit status, spiritual backgrounds, moral values and the list goes on.

When you think of the ratio of those who marry after a short courtship to those who do not, do you think the shorter courtship couple has simply decided to take a leap of faith because of love and to worry about (what could be deemed as) idiosyncrasies later? Or is it smarter to weigh (all) pros and cons when becoming one with someone purposely for the rest of your life?

There are many marriages and divorces to prove or disprove that long or short courtships is the way to a successful marriage, but what is present in those who survive…seems to be commitment.

Knowing that commitment could potentially be greater than the time spent together before the marriage, would you care how long it took to get a ring? Or does commitment come after a ring for you?

By Deidre White

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