Marriage Leaving all the arguments to one side as to whether or not one should marry I would like to examine some of the things that go into making a marriage work well for everyone concerned.
What Kind Of Marriage My father was a Methodist preacher in Arkansas in the south of the USA.
When I was growing up marriage was something that a man and a woman did usually in church and then went on a honeymoon before settling down and raising a family.
For those of you who are my contemporaries you will well remember the lectures about saving yourself for the one you would marry.
The old saying of 'wed before you bed' was very much alive and well in Arkansas in those days.
Of course we didn't have an experience of marriage that came from other cultures.
The idea of an arranged marriage was something that we read about but certainly knew nothing about.
There was no awareness of even the possibility of a same sex marriage.
In fact the recognition or admission of the existence of homosexuality was again something in books but not in real life.
Then there were other things that maybe we had heard about such as polygamy, mistresses, gigolos and prostitutes, but these really were only words in the world where I grew up.
Successful Marriage In order to talk about what constitutes a successful marriage I thought I had to give a bit of my background so what I will now describe can be seen in that light.
I would like to think that I have moved with the times and have grown up and shed a lot of the narrowness of my upbringing.
However, I hope I haven't also lost the integrity and values that were so much a part of my home and life.
A successful marriage is simply one that works.
I don't think there is a formula.
There are too many different people in the world to think that you can have a way to pick two of them, put them together and have a marriage that will work.
It surely is much more complicated than that.
Happiness If the couple is happy and feels fulfilled then it must be considered a success.
Nowadays it is not even necessary for a successful marriage to include having a family.
I personally think that having children is one of the most wonderful things that ever happened, but it is not an essential ingredient anymore for happiness or success in a marriage.
Conclusion Simply I think that two people living and sharing a life together which is supportive of each other and filled with love and positive wishes has to be considered a success.
Wanting only the best and the most for your partner is one of the great joys.
Once I was told that you can't demand possession but you can give it as a gift.
Maybe that is one of the ingredients to put into the mix as well.
Here's to a happy, successful and everlasting marriage for you and your worthy other.