Never did I think that I would have to answer to my children. I'm going to share with you a true story. I have changed the names to protect the animosity of my friends, but this event truly happened. I'm sure that after I share this story with you, you may know of events just like it. Unfortunately, it may be even more common place that I am aware of.
There was once a woman who was very much in love with her husband. Together they built a life together and had several children. Together she and her husband raised these children offering them the best that they could afford. The children grew and had the loving parents who did all the wonderful things that parents do. They raised them to be God fearing, upright citizens and even made it a priority that their children have extended family. Visiting cousins on birthdays, Christmas and other holidays was a tradition throughout their childhood. Their mother was close to her own sister and taught the children how to respect and appreciate extended family.
As the children and their cousins got married, their aunts and uncles celebrated with them. They were "family". As time went by, one of the sister's husbands became ill and passed away. The other sister and her husband supported this sister in her grief. Later on, when the one sister was a widow, the sister and brother-in-law continued to include the widowed sister in their social plans. They went lots of places together. Not only did the two sisters take care of their elderly mother together; but also, the widowed aunt continued to go to birthdays, weddings, baptisms and various holiday functions that involved her nieces and nephews.
Not too many years ago, the sister passed away. The widowed sister was very involved in the grieving process of her nieces, nephews, and her widowed brother-in-law. Being a Christian woman, she did so with faith, hope and charity. Being in her late sixties, she knew what it was like to face the world with out your spouse. Then, even after both of their spouses had passed, they still were together often at family gatherings. They shortly began sharing dinner, movies, etc. Well, after "dating" her former brother-in-law for a year, the two older people decided to get married. After all, they had known each other practically all their lives. They were comfortable with each other, enjoyed each other's company and interests, loved serving the Lord and most importantly wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They brought happiness to each other!
There was just one little glitch. The children of the man were not happy. They openly and vocally opposed the marriage. Their reasoning was that it was a disrespect to their mother that their father marry their mother's sister. No amount of reasoning was going to convince them that this wedding was right. They even announced that, if their father married their aunt, they would refuse to attend the ceremony. The last thing that I had heard was that this, in fact, is what transpired.
As I write this story, my heart weighs heavy with the the grief that these two people might have
because of the behavior of their children. How does anyone justify being a judge over what two adult people should or should not do with their lives? Who has the right to tell someone who to love? Love has a mind of its own. I find it heartwarming that these two friends decided to marry each other in the presence of the Lord. I wish them much happiness. I hope that in time, their children will realize that their parents have a right to have someone in their lives to love them, to encourage them, to make them happy and to keep them warm on a cold winter's night.
No comments:
Post a Comment