Tuesday; August 14


          When Jeane and I got married in the summer of 1981 I am sure there were a lot of people who just shook their heads.  I had broken my jaw earlier in the summer and my mouth was still wired shut.  Travel was uncertain because there had been a strike resulting in over 11,000 air traffic controllers losing their jobs.  Neither one of us had a job and we had no place to live.  Our combined life savings was what we had received as wedding gifts.  Our ceremony was held on a hot day in South Florida and the air conditioning went out in our reception hall (rumor was that it was so hot that the wedding cake was leaning).  As we set out for our honeymoon Tropical Storm Dennis was churning offshore in the Atlantic and it arrived in Miami about the same time we did.  In retrospect it didn’t seem like we were getting off to a rousing beginning; yet, as I look back on that day (and the 37 years in between) I realize we had something going for us – we loved each other and were committed to one another.  To us, those were the only circumstances that mattered.
          People say that “today” is a difficult time to get married and start a family, but I am not sure that I agree with that assessment.  You see, there is no “perfect season” for marriages.  Throughout history people have been marrying during times of war, oppression, persecution, recession and national despair.  Marriages have endured personal tragedy, financial crises and social chaos.  The truth is that circumstances aren’t the issue, the things that make or break a marriage are love and commitment. 
          Let’s make sure we are committed in our relationships.  Once we cement our relationships, let’s teach the next generation that the key to a good marriage isn’t waiting for the right circumstances – it is having the right relationship.
          Think About It!

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