A cynical view on marriage from a divorced child

Drive-through marriages, divorces, annulments, and traditional weddings sometimes confuse me. Something sacred to many, I understand that the words "I do" hold immense meaning. Handing part of your life over to another person, the concept of marriage and "til death do us part" sounds like a dream. But in reality, circumstances always prevail. To me, marriage is simply a document of certification for the government. It LEGALLY binds you together, but in my opinion... the relationship is always what prevails. Here's a case study. A colleague of my mother, married once, but is now in a 14-year relationship with the love of his life, with a stronger bond than most married couples I know. Sometimes the document which is supposed to keep you and the 'love of your life' together often creates more harm than good. The pressure of breaking what is supposed to be a sacred act made under the watchful eye of God often ensues chaos on a family. The legal document OF marriage can create unrealistic expectations of what marriage must be.
Staying married due to external factors doesn't cause anything better to come from simply living in the same house. The other day someone asked me "If there was one thing you could change about your childhood, what would it be?" Simple answer: make my parent's divorce sooner. Confusing to some why that would be the best answer, the struggle of living in a single split household is unexplainable.
To get back on track, the legal document of marriage which many hold so close to their heart is often a falsity. Though non-traditional marriages were mocked throughout Marrying Absurd, those are often the ones which last. I guess what I'm trying to say through this ramble of a blog post, is that marriage is circumstantial. Those that last are often the ones we least expect, but for me, love is the most important. Regardless of the legal document to prove it.