Marriages Ending?

Yesterday when I heard about Al and Tipper Gore's forty year marriage ending, I wasnt nearly as shocked as many said they were...I guess because it seems to be quite common amongst couples married over twenty years or more, these days,
Sad but true...
I was surprised a bit though, but not shocked because while I know there are no perfect marriages, forty years indicate some love, some commitment...who knows,
I dont even plan to speculate further about it, because it was really only a lead in to what I really want to talk about,
And that is Personal Independence within a marriage,
One thing for sure is this, Tipper can take care of Tipper,
She will have some of Al's money,
But at the end of the day, with or without it, she is viable and can take care of Tippper and I applaud that,
Because in this country when men leave women,
Many, too many women still end up living in poverty,
And that is so avoidable,
We must make ourselves viable,
Able to earn our way and sustain ourselves and our children if necessary,
There is a woman I know whose marriage ended after almost thirty years and she was left destitute...
Now this is not a woman with children at home,
But in fact a woman who was just UNPREPARED...
One day we were talking and she made the comment,
"You could end up like me..."
I told her this, "I sure could end up divorced, but as long as God pumps blood in my body I can and will be able to support me, live just fine and buy shoes..." Because I was taught by a long line of women that it is wonderful to be taken care of but that as a woman, a black woman, I need to be able to take care of myself...
And God knows, I pray everyday that my man never decides to leave home, but while praying for that, I am working, learning, reinvinting and taking care of me...

BE BLESSED...
angelia