Woman Marries Herself, Receives National Attention
Nadine Schweigert of North Dakota has symbolically married herself, after deciding she didn't want to wait "for someone to come along and make me happy." Even though this is not the first time a woman has married herself, Schweigert's story is gaining national attention.
According to Inforum, a local Fargo, ND paper, Schweigert got the idea for the ceremony from a friend. "I was waiting for someone to come along and make me happy. At some point a friend said, 'Why do you need someone to marry you to be happy? Marry yourself.'"
She took that advice to heart and held the ceremony this past weekend. "I'm very proud of it and I feel very good about it," Schweigert explained. "I'm so glad I did it."
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But the ceremony was not without its critics, including members of Schweigert's family. Her 11-year-old son was reluctant to be involved in the ceremony. "Initially his response was to put his hand on my shoulder. He said, 'I love you, but I'm embarrassed for you right now and I'm not coming.'"
That initial embarrassment subsided, and her son was present for the ceremony and even helped plan it. The rest of her family and friends helped celebrate the moment, which she told Anderson Cooper was a celebration of "how far I've come in life. Six years ago I would've handled a problem by going out and drinking. I smoked, I was 50 pounds overweight…"
Her parents, Charlotte and Daniel, told Inforum that their daughter "always did her own thing. Nothing surprises me anymore. We just sort of watched and wanted to know what it was all about. That's all that counts, as long as she's happy."
Others, however, do not agree with Schweigert's decision. "While I can certainly understand her need to include the activities as being married to herself, I would not go to such lengths," noted Huffington Post user IReadTheNews. "If it makes her happy, good for her, but I don't think it's necessary to have everything she has today."
