Marriage is hard and must be reaffirmed every day. Love is a choice and must also be reaffirmed every day. Even the most solid Catholic couples can break up if both of these are not present. This is what I've experienced through dating, engagement, marriage, counseling, divorce, gaining full custody of children, and annulment.

I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to date again because of the way things went in my marriage. Plus, my duties to my children and ministering to their spiritual needs takes precedent, while their 'mother' is absent and not really active in their lives.

It may be hard and troublesome at times, but it is worth it, and is why I'm dating again. I won't lose faith in marriage because I want my children always see it as a holy institution that is good, and what happened to their parents is not normal.