Re: Expectations...
Correct me if I am wrong but do I decect a pinch of resentment here from some folks? Seems like some people here got married with some idea of what a marriage should be like perhaps not fairytale idea but still a fantastic idea. What you got in return was a trip to california rather then hawaii, so to speak. No one has yet to explain whats to good about marraige except legal sex. Not my parents, not the imam, and certainly not friends. I dunno folks but sooner or later I'll have to take the plunge if only for the sake of physical closeness.
Others can pitch in with their own experiences, but from my marriage i have gained a wonderful relationship, a friendship, a closeness that i never had with anyone nor i will. My husband is my best, closest, friend and confidant. No matter how silly my thinking is or what i am going through, he is there to listen to me and make it better for me. I dont worry about what his reaction would be to a certain act of mine or whether he will judge me for wahever reasons : when i am with him, i am totally me. I am not me trying to be some other person. This feeling of being "at peace" with everything in my life, i attribute to our marriage, Alhamdulillah. No matter how many friends you have, there comes a point in life where youw ant someone who wants and likes you for who YOU are, no questions asked. You want someone to be there when you go home after work/school all tired and frustrated but one smile from a significant other can make everything right.
This is what my marriage has given me so far. I hope others have had better if not similiar experiences.