Happily Ever After ... ;-0))

That's how fairy tales end. Happily ever after .... but at the end of the day, it is commitment. Kindness. Responsibility. These are what you get at the end of a marriage. Regardless of religion, the traditional wedding vow speaks for all ...

"... to have and to hold from this day forward,
  for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
  in sickness and in health,
  until death do us part..."

You may be so infatuated and in love but as years of marriage take its toll with children, career, finance, family, in-laws, siblings, relatives, friends .... every couple change. It is the cycle of life. It is how we adapt to the changes that makes a fulfilling marriage. Yet, most of us realise that, at the end of it, couples stay together even though love and passion are no longer there. There is contentment. Safety. Security. Commitment. Thus, we stay together because it is easier to do so. It beats loneliness. Although most couples are actually very lonely. Together but apart. So near yet so far.

Why am I exploring this topic? Well, I read an article in the Star newspaper about marriage. Even though the writer was so in love and besotted with her partner, after years of married life, she summed it up as ... Commitment. Kindness. The passion wanes. The love fades. I would add acceptance. If we can accept that this is our partner for life, it makes life together bearable. The bonus will be if the partner is a friend and lets you have your own space and freedom to lead your life as you see fit albeit within boundaries of your status. I have listened and observed so many marriages which are so empty. So constraint. So obligatory. Yet they stay as they feel that they have no choice. Hence, the voiceless loneliness. The silent unhappiness. The soundless discontent. Responsibilities are carried out without fail. Commitment fulfilled in sickness and in health. We indulge. We splurge. We give. Yet, we feel empty. Only the satisfaction that we have given our all and fulfill the marriage vows. No guilt. No regrets. No remorse. Thus, the question in one self - is this LIFE? Or is this living?

I have always loved to attend wedding ceremonies. To observe and to bask in the innocence and faith the couple have in their love for each other. I have always enjoyed the happy and cheerful atmosphere. To make their dream wedding materialise. I always smile and pray that they will, at the end of their lives, live happily ever after .... ;-))