Illustration by Josh Hagler

The beautiful princess looked longingly into his eyes. He had come from very far to make her his wife. The handsome prince embraced her protectively as they rode off into the sunset and they lived happily ever after·

Whoa! Did I miss something? You mean to tell me that life doesn't copy a fairytale? And by the way, where do I order my Prince Charming?

Sorry, boys and girls, but this story is simply that - a story.

This fantasy is slightly tainted when we find out the real facts. In 1998, it was reported by the National Health Center that 19.4 million or 10 percent of American adults are divorced. Nearly 28 percent of American children under the age of 18 lived with single parents.

As marriage seems to lose the charm it once had, the number of married adults is decreasing more and more every year. Three out of five of my closest friends come from divorced families. And of the two who don't, one is Mormon and one is Pakistani. So where is the problem? What are they doing right that the others might have missed?

To answer that question, one must be omniscient - sorry guys, but I am definitely not that person. However, we can definitely draw a conclusion from the cultures where it is almost ritualistic to get married and a taboo to get divorced.

I remember when I visited my cousins in Pakistan and I mentioned the word "divorce." All three of my sisters looked at me with open mouths as to why I would even mention such a hideous word. But I receive the same appalling look from American kids when I mention that I will get an arranged marriage.

"How can you marry someone you don't even know or love?" But what I want to know for those who marry for love, how come the divorce statistics are so high? Where does the love go?

First of all, I want to clarify arranged marriages. My culture is not archaic. Girls do not see the guy for the first time on their wedding night. Times have changed. Most of my girl cousins and friends met the boy a year or two in advance, giving her time to get to know him before she agrees to marriage.

The biggest aspect of life in most Eastern countries is family. Life revolves around your family and how to make them happy. In the same way, your parent's most priceless desire is to make their kids happy.

Many outsiders miss this quality, but the parental unit is just as eager to please as the kids are. In this way, when it comes time for marriage, the parents want to find someone who will truly care and love their child.

Since family is such an integral part of life, family influences a person's personality. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Therefore, when two families get along really well, it can be assumed that the kids will too.

Usually a middle person who knows both families suggests the girl's family to the boy's family. From that point, if they are interested, the proposal is sent to the girl.

Marriage is not only a merging of two people but their parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and so on. Everyone is involved.

Another key aspect of this marriage practice is, of course, the two who will be married. The girl and boy both come into this with open minds. Because there is no prior relationship, there aren't many expectations. When two parties have minimal expectations, it is a thousand times easier to compromise.

On the other hand, in America, when two people are in love, you just expect the other person to compromise.

And if they don't, then one says, "If you really loved me, you would do this." And the other can retort, "If you really love me, then you would listen to me." Until one person compromises, this can become a problem.

Neither Western nor Eastern civilization's practice is superior to the other, but one assumption can be made: Arranged marriages provide a stronger foundation for a marriage than flimsy misconceptions of love.

You have to be really sure it's the real thing and think about all aspects of what life after the wedding entails. Love is a priceless commodity, and two people must be very confident before committing themselves to a lifelong relationship. It really isn't a joke. Just ask the millions of kids from divorced families.