There is a rhythm to the ending of a marriage just like the rhythm of a courtship --only backward. You try to start again but get into blaming over and over. Finally you are both worn out, exhausted, hopeless. Then lawyers are called in to pick clean the corpses. The death has occurred much earlier.

Summary

This quote encapsulates the trajectory of a failing marriage. It suggests that the dissolution of a marriage follows a rhythm similar to that of a courtship, but in reverse. Instead of rekindling love and connection, the couple falls into a cycle of blame and recrimination, reaching a point of complete exhaustion and hopelessness. By the time lawyers are involved to divide up assets, it is implied that the real death of the relationship has already taken place. The quote serves as a poignant reminder that the demise of a marriage often occurs long before its formal end.

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