On the eve of a wedding, Contemplation
I love my man with all my being, fibre and existence.
Last night we tended to a friend whose one-year marriage is already in the toilet. We have had many discussions about some of our friends in relationships, and of couples in general - how many seem to be so dysfunctional. And we’ve wondered why this is so - after all, we’re in our thirties, now. Don’t people go through enough bad relationships when they’re younger to know that they don’t want anymore of that bullshit by the time they’re in their thirties, and don’t people therefore strive to be the best, most understanding, most communicative boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife to their partner, out of sheer love, respect and integrity?
We have often asked ourselves why the answer so often appears to be “NO” for couples, and why so often people in their thirties and beyond STILL have not grasped the idea that being open, honest, affectionate, domestically responsible, communicative, trusting, humourous, tolerant, and unconditional in a sexual relationship is a two-way street that leads to very strong bonds that encapsulates the couple for a lifetime.
We have no idea why people would not want these things from their partner, and why people would not want to put out these things for their partner.
Every time we have visited a couple we feel is dysfunctional (including his father and his father’s wife!), we always shoot each other *that glance* to let each other know we’re thinking the same thing. Sometimes I’m so overwhelmed with how alert and understanding my man is when we are witnessing such dysfunction in others, that I just grab hold of him, smooch him and tell him how much I love him right there on the spot.
I want people to be happy. I want to let couples know when things are broken, because I care so much, but I’ve learned that it only invites anger - bitter bitter anger - unless they approach me first to unload. I’m no marriage counselor, but damn, when your wife is telling you that everything you undertake is worthless and that her previous boyfriend, who had cheated on her, is better than you in everything you do - what do you think that does to you as a person, and why would you want to put up with that?
When your husband forbids you to work for a living, because “a woman’s place is in the home”, and he comes home from work to yell at you to quiet down YOUR kids because he’s had a rough day, what does that do to you emotionally? Worse yet, you then find an old phone bill while cleaning house - and it has 1-900 numbers all over it, and you realise he’s been watching pay-per-view porn on cable after you’ve gone to bed exhausted from cleaning, cooking and raising the kids all day - what do you think that does to you as a person, and why would you want to put up with that?
When you get knocked up and panic, thinking a wedding is the only thing that can save face for the both of you, but neither of you have either been together for any length of time or lived together or worked your shit out, HOW do you possibly think a wedding can make everything fall into place?
When you become disabled, then depressed, then despondant, then suicidal because your whole life appears to be yanked from under you, and while trying to kill yourself, your girlfriend, knowing full well of your suicidal ideation, calls you in a fit of rage to falsely accuse you of hurting or poisoning the cats, rather than calling you to talk you down and tell you how much she loves you, what does that do to you?
When you have moved across country with your fiancé, and he starts living off of you becuase he decided he now refuses to get a ‘corporate’ job, but yet consistently has found no way to contribute to the household and expenses, what does that do to you emotionally? Worse yet, when he tells you one day he doesn’t think the marriage is working and takes off to an ex girlfriend long since parted, what does that do to you as a person?
I have so many stories; the ones above span nearly a decade. And it’s still going on - SIX couples I know this year have or are in process of splitting up, and nearly all of them have a history of major dysfunction.
Why did they stay together for so long? Why when in such dysfunction did they proceed to MARRY?
It baffles me. It leads me to stroke the face of the man I love, and declare my undying love for him. It leads me to hug him and hold on tight to let him know how strongly I love him and appreciate him.
I have been with this man for seven years. We have had trying times. We have had arguments. We have been hurt and upset. We have cried. But we always work things through. We always learn from the mishaps and move on and try our hardest every day not to repeat such things that we know would hurt both of us. There are no grudges. There is no bitterness. Bitterness does not a relationship make.
WHY is that so hard for people past the age of twenty-seven to understand and deliver?
Tomorrow my friend is getting married. What I have seen of her and her fiancé’s interaction with each other so far over the few months that they have been together, seems promising, because my friend, who is extremely closed off and impenetrable normally, says she has spilled EVERY.LAST.THING about her ENTIRE life to this man, and he still loves and accepts her at face value. I have seen her become more relaxed, more affectionate, and more mature overall with this man. It doesn’t have to be that people must date for years and then get married and then have a family and everything is all right. No, people can know each other for days, weeks, mere months and know that they have found the person with whom they TRUST they can reciprocate openness, honesty, affection, domestic responsibility, communication, humour, tolerance, and unconditional love.
People just need to start loving, knowing and trusting themselves, first, BEFORE they get involved with another.
This is my wish to everyone to promise themselves in the coming year: Start telling yourself how much you love and trust yourself. Start getting to really KNOW yourself - your habits - your diet - your health - your emotions - all of it. Spend some quality time alone and in your head. Spend time naked in front of the mirror and fall in love with the god or goddess that you see before you. And before you start in with the whole “I’m fat” or “I’m ugly” bullshit - HEY, I’m 5′5″ and weigh 169lbs and have major cellulite these days, but that doesn’t stop me from seeing, loving and respecting the true nekkid me in the mirror, as well as eyeballing myself at all angles and discussing out loud with myself the exciting ways to exercise and lose weight and firm up WITHOUT berating myself or telling myself I hate myself and the way I look. Get it?
People of the world, start loving yourself unconditionally and deeply. Things will begin to manifest outwardly from there, and will attract back the love and respect that you deserve.