Yep. I was married in 1989 and my husband has nearly died four or five times now. In a wheelchair at 1995 and on oxygen 24/7 and unable to work since then. Two bouts of pneumonia and a trach.
You never know what live is going to throw at you. Women need to learn how to be self reliant.
No longer can women just marry a knight on a white steed and expect to be taken care of the rest of their lives.
Besides, what kind of relationship between a man and a woman would that be anyway?
Modern women go for the wrong *kind* of strength, in general not in accord with their nature.
Man’s strength is offensive, in *accomplishing* external tasks and competing; woman’s strength is in endurance (like a caryatid), and developing consensus to strengthen the group and avoid conflict.
Oh — way too personal, but hats off to you for taking “in sickness and in health” seriously despite the cost to you: too many “modern, empowered women” would have cast hubby aside as soon as he was an inconvenience.
Marriage vows do not optimize happiness, they create a stable society, which is the best place for happiness to flourish without just taking from others.