It's a matter of mildly sad amusement

A revived draft post.

Today (31st December 2019) it became possible for heterosexual couples to have a civil partnership instead of getting married. Homosexual couples have been joining in civil partnerships for some years.

Why sad & amused?

For many of us, marriage was about committing to each other, making promises to each other that we would be faithful, supportive etc. It wasn't about whether the wife would obey her husband or whether he would be head of the home and she the neck that turned it (to borrow a family phrase from an earlier age). It certainly wasn't about conforming to religion.

I'm sad that people see marriage as a religious institution, rather than a human one to help families grow and stay together.

I'm amused that people think what they're doing is different, whether it's cocking a snook at the establishment or feeling like they're doing something 'special' and new.

I hope people are faithful, loving and honest in these partnerships - in other words they don't behave like people often do once the shine & feelings of a new partnership have become a little familiar, possibly worn a bit.