Despite trends toward singledom, marriage still has big advantages

Because of changing culture, many people are choosing to stay single rather than get married. In fact, that number has increased recently.

According to a Gallup poll, " … the percentage of young adults [18-29] who report being single and not living with someone has risen dramatically in the past decade, from 52 percent in 2004 to 64 percent in 2014." Additionally, for people in their 30s, the number of people who are married has decreased by 10 percent over the past 10 years.

Sometimes, people choose to not get married young to attend school, get more financially stable or because they simply have not found "the one." Regardless of the reason, there are some big advantages to being married.

Commitment

Within married relationships, there's a certain level of commitment that makes each partner strive a little harder to make it work. Saying "I do" to loving and caring for each other for better or worse means a lot. It's not "just a piece of paper." It's a binding contract between two people that is a promise to work together, grow your love and be there for your spouse — especially when things get hard.

Sex

Having a monogamous sexual relationship obviously significantly reduces your chances of getting sexually transmitted diseases. Besides that plus, married couples' sex lives improve over time — not becoming boring or dull due to familiarity like some may believe. As couples become more comfortable with each other, they are more likely to openly communicate about intimacy and their likes and dislikes. Ultimately, married couples feel more safe in their relationship, reducing sexual insecurities. Additionally, the emotionally, mentally and spiritually deep relationships lend to a stronger and deeper intimate relationship.

Children

After getting married, children are often one of the next steps in a relationship. Children bond couples together in a special way and can increase commitment to each other. Though raising children isn't easy, jointly learning how to care for your kids can be a trial that strengthens your marriage. Also, having a loving and strong marriage is the most stable environment to raise children.

Sharing your life with someone you love equals happiness

Having a companion by your side from young adulthood until life's end is a huge factor in having a happy life and feeling fulfilled. Having someone to share in joys and sorrows, trials and triumphs and to learn and grow with brings a lot of satisfaction. Marry your best friend. Your spouse is the only family member you get to pick — and you get to have a sleepover for the rest of your life. Being married and having children can bring about the biggest joys in your life.

Love

Most happily married couples will often comment that they love their spouse more now than they did when they were first in love. Love grows. It multiplies as you get to know each other better, rely on each other for support, increase your trust, work through trials and hard times together and experience life's greatest joys as a couple. Of course there will be times where love feels more difficult or when you go through a rough patch, but you must recommit! Relationships and love become stronger as you work together. Love doesn't mean it's always easy; it means you love enough not to give up on each other.

Though the trends toward singledom are increasingly popular, the factors that seem like advantages don't compare to what marriage has to offer. Strong and committed relationships, better sex lives, family happiness and sharing your life with someone you love lead to such a deep bond between husband and wife. The advantages of marriage are incomparable.

Wendy Jessen’s email is wendyjessen26@gmail.com