Married & Outnumbered…

I read this article on Sunday before Mass and I’ve been reflecting on it since then.

The article in question is “Married Couples No Longer the Majority”. According to the article:

“For the first time in U.S. history, married couples have slipped into a minority, according to an analysis of new census figures by the New York Times.

The American Community Survey, released this month by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation's 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier, the Times reports.”

So, according to the “American Community Survey report of the Census Bureau”, married couples make up 49.7% of the American population which is closing in on the 300 million number. Therefore, more people are not married, ever so slightly but a number that’s growing.

(Side note: A number which will put the U.S. in the elite club with China and India having populations of 300 million or more. Sounds like a whole lot of “over population” MSM articles are on the way…)

While we know that God has a plan for each and everyone of us to be married or unmarried, with children or without children, single or perhaps in God’s plan to be apart of his clergy or religious community, I still felt a little sad.

Maybe because I have children of my own who are at that marriage age? If fact my oldest is older than I was when my wife and I first married.

We’ve been married now for 24 years and thru hard times and good times I still find sharing my life with someone who loves me for who I am and visa-versa just overwhelmingly joyous.


Right now I’m sitting here on an almost rainy day, preparing this post for Monday; one of my kids has the radio a little too loud blaring from their bedroom, preparing for church. My wife is sitting at her vanity, towel on her head…she still looks so cute; and I’m totally content. Life is good, God is good…all the time.

Don’t get me wrong, not everyday is a “red-letter day” in our household.

Still this article has me worried.

The article goes on to say that unmarried opposite-sex households are on the rise as well.

We already see surveys of more deaths than births in Europe and in fact trends are continuing to spiral downward. A dieing civilization.

I went over to the Census Bureau website to check the sources and to find out what other facts I could find.

Here’s a fact sheet you’ll find interesting:

Questions arise in my mind; what example have I been for my kids that would cause them to reflect on marriage as a wonderful, holy example of life that God may have in plan for them.

I’ve been emphasizing completing College degrees and thoughts about how to raise a family. The joys of children, of staying firm and strong in their faith.

…but is it enough in today’s society? There are so many distractions.

Hum? What else can I do?

Time for Mass. I’ll have to talk to God about this one.