We are family

Another really amazing thing about India is the commitment to family. I have always been impressed (and jealous) of my Indian friends in the U.S. who constantly have family members visiting for long stretches of time. In India, it's very much the same where extended families live under one roof. Further, I have met many entrepreneurs and businesspeople who have built their companies with family members. I'm not sure where to find the data for this, but I would definitely expect more family-run businesses in India vs the U.S.

One piece of data that I did find that was interesting was divorce rates. Most people are aware at how unlucky Americans seem to be at marriages as the divorce rate in the U.S. is roughly 50%. FIFTY PERCENT! That is so sad. Patrick and I feel this data personally as both of our parents are divorced (my dad has been divorced 3 times!), Patrick's brother is divorced and his step-brother just got divorced. According to DivorceRate.org (yes, there is a website for everything!), the divorce rate in India is 1.1%. And to think so many of the marriages here are arranged. Does that mean Americans can't pick mates very well? One Indian friend of mine suggested the divorce rate in India is so low because people don't think they have an exit option. Once you get married in India, you lock the door and throw away the key. Divorce is not an option. He also adds that in India, you have built in marriage counselors at home: your parents! Marriage is not necessarily between 2 people, but between 2 families.