A Love Worth Fighting For: Then vs. Now

Back in the year 2000, people still rented DVDs, sent each other love letters on paper, and believed that marriage would last forever — or at least, most people hoped it would.

Fast forward to 2025, and things look a little different. The world is faster now. We swipe right, scroll past, and sometimes… give up too easily.

Statistics tell a story of their own. In the early 2000s, South Africa’s divorce rate was already climbing steadily, especially among couples married for less than 10 years. But in 2025, it’s even higher. More people are getting divorced — and sooner.

So what changed?

Some say it’s technology — the constant comparison, the easy distractions, the endless options. Others blame stress: the pressure to hustle, the rising cost of living, the burnout. And then there’s the quiet truth nobody likes to admit — sometimes people grow apart, silently, in the same house.

But here’s something you won’t find in the stats: the couples who stay together don’t do it because they have perfect marriages.

They do it because they made a choice. Every day.

There’s a quote that says it perfectly:
“A perfect marriage is an imperfect husband and an imperfect wife choosing not to give up on one another. That is a perfect marriage.”

It’s not always romantic. Sometimes, love looks like dishes, diapers, and long talks at midnight after a fight. Sometimes, it’s getting help — real help — from counselors, mentors, or even just older couples who’ve walked the road before.

The truth is, marriages don’t fall apart overnight. They fall apart in the small things — the words left unsaid, the resentment that builds, the time that slips away without connection.

But here’s the good news: marriages can also be rebuilt — slowly, lovingly, one moment at a time.

So what can couples do?

• Talk more. Really talk. Not about bills or the kids, but about dreams, fears, feelings.
• Listen better. Without fixing, without interrupting.
• Get help. Therapy isn’t failure. It’s courage.
• Date again. Even if it’s just coffee in the kitchen when the kids are asleep.
• Choose each other — again and again. Even when it’s hard.

Because love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a decision. A decision to say, “I see you. I still choose you.”

So yes, the numbers say divorce is more common now than in 2000. But they don’t tell the full story.

Because behind every stat, there’s a couple — and sometimes, a comeback waiting to happen.