I heard something on the radio that sounded so outrageous, I knew it had to be true. It was about a website that pairs rich older men and attractive young women. The website issued a release saying it had seen an increase in traffic since Oct. 1 as young women looked for a sugar daddy to pay their higher health insurance premiums!

Which makes me wonder, what did you marry for? Love? Security? Status? Sex? Or health insurance?

DARCY: I married for love in 1971 and was very happy. Then, after 17 years and three children, my husband, by God's grace, won $3 million in our state lottery. So, though we married for love, we got money. Are we still happy? You bet!

STEPHANIE: I married for love. I was 19 and Tim was 22. I knew then that he was loving, kind, considerate, tender, affectionate, a man of integrity — the list goes on and on. Ten years later, he still captures my heart and gives me butterflies whenever he walks into a room.

To give you a few examples of the things he has done for me: He has taken me into New York City for an evening at the theater. Before he did this, he snuck my best dress over to my manicurist so she could match my nail polish to it. He has surprised me with weekends away and packed my things all by himself, even my makeup. He has sent me flowers, left me love notes, shoveled my car out of the snow. All the things people said would end, haven't.

Just last week, he arranged for my girlfriend and me to go shopping. While we were gone, he made dinner — exotic drinks in pineapple skins, scallops wrapped in bacon, clams casino, pork roast, gravy, dumplings, spinach, sauerkraut and espresso. He even cleaned up. If my life were to end tomorrow, I've had the 10 happiest years with the greatest husband who ever lived.

MARLA: I married for love and wound up hating the guy. Next time I'm going for the bucks.

PEGGY: I didn't marry for love or money; I married for security and identity. The year was 1963. Women did things like that then. As it turned out, I couldn't stand being Mrs. So-and-So, and after 10 years, we got divorced. So much for security and identity.

DAHLIA: I married for shelter. There was a fire in my house that damaged everything. I had no place to live, no furniture, nothing. All my pictures, souvenirs and mementos were gone. I felt utterly rudderless.

I'd been dating Jack for about six months. We got along really well, but weren't even thinking about marriage. But when he saw how alone I felt and how vulnerable I was, he asked me to marry him. It meant so much to me. He could have just asked me to move in with him, that would have been good enough. But he went the distance and asked me to marry him.

That was 43 years ago. He's given me a warm place to rest my head for all these years!

What did you marry for? How did it work out? Send your tale, along with your questions, problems and rants to [email protected]. And check out my new website askcheryl.net.