Leap of Faith

I'm always sad when I hear of marriages falling apart. I agree that it's inevitable in some circumstances, but I believe it's mainly because one or both parties have reneged on their vows to love each other.

A wedding is not just about the celebration itself. It's a commitment for life, and the most important decision one makes in his/her life. Imagine, you're actually choosing a next of kin who has the right to everything you are and everything you own. You'll be having children together and raising them in a new family (I know, you don't really need marriage to have children, but that's not my point). But most of all, it's a vow to love each other, support each other through good times and bad, and grow old together. That's why it's not a decision to make lightly. It is, literally, a leap of faith...and love. One that will affect both of you and your children for the rest of your lives.

I found this vow for a renewal of marriage and I believe that this is what marriage should be all about:

On our wedding day, I made a choice. It was the most important and significant choice of my life and I made it only after a great deal of consideration. On that day, I chose you to be my husband/wife. I thought then that such a decision, once made, as final and irrevocable. Now I know that the selection of a life partner is not a one-time decision but an on-going process. Many times in the years since then, I have chosen you again. Faced with changes and alternatives, I have become keenly aware that a marriage lasts only so long as both partners desire each other above all others. As our lives have been affected by the ebb and flow of other lives and events, there have been many times when I could have chosen to go in a different direction. I did not. The reason is simple: no other person has ever aroused in me the feelings of tenderness, joy and caring which you elicit. I elect to stay with you not because I feel obligated to meet your needs but because you continue to meet mine. I live with you not because a legal document says that I am your wife/husband but because, in my heart of hearts, I still want to be by your side more than I want to be anywhere else.

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My entry to . This week's topic is commitment. Do join us!