Today is a very special day. Today is one of those rare occassions that you don't come across so much these days.
Today is my parents' 25th Wedding Anniversary.
My cubemate thought it funny that I'd want to buy something for my parents on THEIR anniversary. He was under the impression that it was something they did for themselves.
Well, that's the difference between dating and marriage...the difference between cohabitation and actually making binding vows between yourselves and God before your family, friends, church, neighbors, and community.
You see, their marriage isn't just for their benefit. I have been blessed by my parents being committed to themselves for 25 years. I have grown to cherish the institution of marriage, recognize its worth among myself and my siblings, and am eternally grateful that even when they didn't feel like it, they stuck together.
They have been examples of what it means to exhibit self control, self sacrifice, unconditional love, communication, compromise, and simply what it means to be in a relationship with people.
And here they are celebrating their 25th :)
Its amazing!
2 comments:
Hi Christina,
Great to hear about your parents and their commitment to each other - an example all of us can probably take some lessons from in some way or another.
However, I'd argue that cohabitation doesn't have to mean two people in a relationship that are still guarding certain things for themselves. It's perfectly possible to be in a cohabiting relationship in which both partners view it as just as committed and just as long-term as any marriage vows. They just haven't had the marriage ceremony.
It's not as black and white as suggesting that marriage is *always* the more committed relationship, although I accept that for most people they correlate marriage with a higher level of commitment. It's just that I and many others don't.
Best
Ian
Ian,
Thank you for your comment. Your right, I disagree with you. However, if you read the rest of my blog, you will find that my belief in that is founded in what I believe to be an absolute - God and Cohabitation don't mix. Therefore, there will be no concessions that cohabitation is just as valid as marriage. EVER.
In the spirit of this blog post though, I made a very distinct difference between cohabitation and marriage - that being the vows stated before God, family, friends, church, neighbors, and communities. I think that is very important, especially coming from the child's perspective. Its strangely important knowing that my parents were INTENTIONALLY together and intentionally planned to be together. You don't get that in cohabitation. After all, if there was intention, why not get married? It leaves doubt in the mind of witnesses, if not in yours - are they REALLY that serious about eachother?
And, believe it or not, marriage isn't JUST for the people involved. Which was the point of my post. Its for the benefit of everyone who operates in the same sphere as that married couple. Especially their children. Which is why I wrote the post. Because I'm grateful that my parents committed themselves to that kind of a relationship, were willing to make it a public committment, and were willing to see it through this far.
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