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Is There a *Wrong* Age to Get Married? Dorinda Medley Thinks So
But, actually, research shows the later in life you marry, the more likely it is to work out.
Dorinda Medley has no plans to marry her boyfriend of seven years, John Mahdessian, although he wants to. She thinks she's "too old." Actually, she thinks anyone above a certain age (in her head) shouldn't be getting married.
Dorinda, 54, made a remark on this season of The Real Housewives of New York City that "no one past a certain age should be able to get married," then told Page Six it also applies to herself. She added John was "a little hurt" to learn she thought she was “too old to marry.”
“But I said, ‘John, what are you hurt about?'” she told Page Six. “Statistically, we’ve been together longer than most couples. We’re going on seven years now. We love each other and support each other, and for me, I don’t know what the point would be. I think marriage is for young people, because you want different things. You want children, you want a home together, you want to grow in a certain way. I’ve seen and done that twice.”
Dorinda's late husband Richard passed away in 2011.
So is there a “right age” to get married? Dorinda might just be projecting her own feelings on this one.
The Journal of Family Psychology examined marital timing — what age a person marries — and how it’s linked to relationship well-being. It found, "Marrying on time or late compared with marrying early predicted fewer symptoms of depression in midlife.”
Psychology Today reports, “People who married on time or late were least likely to report depressive symptoms in midlife.”
“People who marry earlier rather than later may face greater challenges due to the added responsibilities of starting a family at a relatively early age,” PT added. “This can include greater difficulty in reaching their educational goals or putting in the added time needed to launch a career. Early marriage can also occur due to increased pressure from family members or an unexpected pregnancy, which can lead to greater emotional distress.”
The results of the report “suggest that marital timing may play an essential role in future happiness. Not only do people who marry early seem to have an increased risk of depression, but marrying late often means greater happiness overall.”
