Here is an excerpt from an interview with author Rebecca Traister that made me stop and think, “Yeah!” (The whole thing is rambling and interesting and feminist and worth a read, but this part really stood out.)
“I had been married to my friends for years and years; these were my full, domestic, social, romantic partnerships. The things we associate with spousal relationships are often carried out by our friends, especially on the other side of marriage, because there is another side of marriage for a lot of people—whether through divorce, separation, or death. We have all the recognition in the world for spouses; we have no recognition for the friendships that are like partnerships through all, or a significant part, of our lives.”