My Children,
Everyone always wants to know the secret to a marriage that lasts, a marriage that is rock solid through the ages. They ask as if it's a mystical combination that takes years of pondering and study to grasp. What's so funny is that the secret is so simple. Stay. No matter what- stay. Always stay. It's simple to define but can be VERY hard to practice every day. Now should you stay if there's abuse involved, of course not, but otherwise, stay. Even if you want to run with every fiber of your being because, don't you know, 'the grass DOES always look greener on the other side'. Stay. Stay anyway. Remember the day you took your marriage vows- they weren't just words- they were actions. Actions to stay through thick and thin, ups and downs. Stay. Love them no matter what. Love them when it hurts to love. Love them when they maybe don't deserve to be loved. Love them and stay. This world we live in, has made it commonplace to trade in our spouses on 'better' ones. It's a lie, we're all just humans, flawed. Don't buy into this world's lies. Marry the one you love and trust that your instincts were right. Trust that you loved them because it was meant to be and stay. Life is going to be flawed. There will undoubtedly be sicknesses, maybe addictions, falls from grace, the key is to remember that it's life that's flawed, not your spouse. Our world is filled with sin, and we must live here and sometimes fail here, but help raise up your spouse out of the depths of sin and stay. Don't abandon them because they fell victim to sin. Stay. A forever marriage is a battle each and EVERY day. Don't be sucked into the fairy-tale that if it's not easy, it's not right. If it's not hard, it's not right.
So my children, what's the secret to a forever marriage, one that lasts through the ages- stay. No matter what- stay. Always stay.
Love,
Mom
