The Collected Lost Meanings of Wedlock

Painstakingly curated, here are 52 lost meanings of wedlock, one to inspire each week of an engagement. It's the perfect gift for one's betrothed, or for a wedding planner, or for anyone contemplating matrimony. Why lost meanings? The definition of "marriage" has become hotly debated of late, to the point that the word has become "increasingly unmentionable" (Catholic Herald) or even "has no meaning at all" (Family Policy Institute). It's been said that only through loss can there be gain, that only through loss can we truly grow and understand what is at stake, that only through loss can that which is beautiful be found. As the poet Joseph August has noted, "Only through loss can we glimpse the deepest meanings, / hints and flashes whispered from below / elucted as from underwater, deep." The collected lost meanings of wedlock might surprise even those who would otherwise be considered well-informed.