Marrying your high school sweetheart

This week we learnt with a whole lot of “ah no, really?” that Stormers rugby player Andries Bekker cheated on his wife with some 23 year-old. Bekker – who is surprisingly lanky (in a good way) for a rugby player – and his wife have been together since high school. 

Seeing that I don’t know Bekker or his wife, I’m going to refrain from speculating on their marriage. But this affair did get me thinking… Is it ever a good idea to marry someone you fell in love with in your teens?

I spoke to my editor Sam who met the lovely Dre when she was only 18.

“The paradox when you meet each other really young, is that while you get to meld your talents and grow together, you also need to be enough of your own person to grow by yourself and in your own direction,” she said.

I fell in love when I was 16 and I thought it was going to be forever. (But hey, don’t we all think we know everything when we’re young and in love?) But although I did have 4 very happy years and he was a fantastic boyfriend (shout-out to Tom!) it could never have lasted because we grew up to be different people.

On the other hand – my mother saw my father from a window when she was 14 and she decided that she wanted to marry him. After 47 years they are still happy.

Personally, I think with all things to do with love it is mostly a case of blind luck. And it doesn’t matter whatever age are when you meet your person, as long as you meet him/her/them.

When did you first think you’ve met the right person? And were you right?

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