''TIL death us do part' is quite a vow and clearly not one to give lightly; particularly today when the average life expectancy is so much longer than when modern vows emerged in late Middle-ages Europe.
Those of us separated and divorced and feeling regretful over not making it work can take some comfort from the extraordinary demand that is Christian ( particularly Catholic) marriage today.
You were only expected to spend almost twice as long with your partner as those for whom the vows were initially drawn up in the Christian West.
Indeed a glance at the whole history of the institution of marriage is fascinating. None more so than the evolution of marriage in Ireland, from pre- Christian times to the advent of Catholicism as a major religion in the land.
While our grandmothers would have quailed at the idea of their children's marriages breaking down, our older ancestors wouldn't have batted an eyelid, having been a far more practical bunch when it came to marriage, by all accounts.
If two people grew apart, weren't getting on, they saw no point in forcing them through the remainder of their years in turmoil and pain.
Divorce was simply no big deal from a societal point of view.
Brehon Law, the justice system of old Ireland, is today regarded as having been the most progressive — from a modern viewpoint — in Europe at its time.
Dating from preChristian times right into the late Middle Ages in some aspects, it provided for a fairly even- tempered approach to relationships.
Most interestingly, marriage wasn't even witnessed by the Church until the late 1500s and was looked on more as a simple contract between two people ( and their property- owning families of course).
It was pretty much a civil- matter only.
That would explain the lack of anxiety in the approach to divorce, for instance, as it wasn't felt that it was against God.
Brehon Law recognised many forms of marriage, the most famous being the ' hand- fasting' type ceremony where the bride and grooms' hands were symbolically tied with rope ( hence the phrase 'tying the knot').
If, after a year, the couple had grown closer they could renew their contract for another year, agree to a more permanent bond or if they had annoyed the brains out of each other in that period, they could simply walk away from the marriage, no harm done.
Brehon Law first and foremost enshrined the individual and property rights of the couple.
It certainly wasn't nearly as romantic as the Christian model of marriage, but seeing as we're all here today it must have worked to some extent.