Marriage and Dating

As an eighteen year old in 2012, marriage is not on my mind as much as it may have for an eighteen year old fifty years ago. However, I do intend to marry one day. I hope to have a marriage built on commitment and common values, the two factors recommended by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. In a marriage I desire someone who will make me happy not only for the current but someone I will love and trust forever. Common Values are vital to a happy marriage, so I would prefer to marry someone who is Catholic or Christian, who would be a good father, who is intelligent, hardworking and kind. If we are not on the same page in terms of our ways of thinking, values etc. then our relationship will not deepen and we may end up arguing and disagreeing on important decisions that couples must make. I do not want to put aside my personal goals when I get married but I think its important that my partner share my goals or at least respect them so that we can bring out the potential in each other. As the article states that marriage is supposed to be about the other person and their life together. Compromising and sacrificing is are key, this requires a certain level of maturity, which is why it is nicer that people marry later on in life today.