One day, a group of male friends gathered for a drink. After a few glasses, they started complaining of the stress at work and the boring life after marriage. One of them asked, “What if you can choose the terms of marriage like a work contract? How long would you want the contract to be?”
There was instant silence. Everyone was caught in his own thoughts trying to figure out what kind of terms should them limit the marriage to. 1 year? 5 years? Or maybe 10?
One guy who recently got wed replied, “I guess 5 years is the most logical. It gives us enough time to get used to each other and by that time, we would know if we are meant to be together.”
Many followed his logic, but there were two who enjoyed single life way too much suggested a one year probation period.
Finally they came to the guy who hasn’t spoken a word the whole night. He sighed and answered, “Let it be eternity then.”
Everyone moved closer to make sure their ears deceive them not. First came shock then bursts of laughter. The question followed, “Why?”
Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself and explained, “For the first, two years of marriage you will enjoy the newly found independence and marital bliss. With time, in 5 or 10 years, the raw passion erodes and love changes gradually into a form of responsibility towards your family. But there is a fundamental difference between men and women. With age, men gains maturity and financial stability. Women usually end up at home giving up their youth and career prospects for their off-springs. In the case of divorce, it would be very unfair to the ladies and your innocent kids. To me, a divorce is a selfish decision. The worst kind.”
The other men were left speechless.
“And one day many, many years from now, when you look at her face, you will realize what she has sacrificed for this family and remember why you married her. You will look at the joyful children and thank God for giving you something so special. You will think back to how wonderful your life has been because you two walked the road together. Maybe things are not that great sometimes. Think about it."
There was instant silence. Everyone was caught in his own thoughts trying to figure out what kind of terms should them limit the marriage to. 1 year? 5 years? Or maybe 10?
One guy who recently got wed replied, “I guess 5 years is the most logical. It gives us enough time to get used to each other and by that time, we would know if we are meant to be together.”
Many followed his logic, but there were two who enjoyed single life way too much suggested a one year probation period.
Finally they came to the guy who hasn’t spoken a word the whole night. He sighed and answered, “Let it be eternity then.”
Everyone moved closer to make sure their ears deceive them not. First came shock then bursts of laughter. The question followed, “Why?”
Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself and explained, “For the first, two years of marriage you will enjoy the newly found independence and marital bliss. With time, in 5 or 10 years, the raw passion erodes and love changes gradually into a form of responsibility towards your family. But there is a fundamental difference between men and women. With age, men gains maturity and financial stability. Women usually end up at home giving up their youth and career prospects for their off-springs. In the case of divorce, it would be very unfair to the ladies and your innocent kids. To me, a divorce is a selfish decision. The worst kind.”
The other men were left speechless.
“And one day many, many years from now, when you look at her face, you will realize what she has sacrificed for this family and remember why you married her. You will look at the joyful children and thank God for giving you something so special. You will think back to how wonderful your life has been because you two walked the road together. Maybe things are not that great sometimes. Think about it."
He paused briefly before a silly smile breaks out.
"With time, you will learn to cherish what marriage brings. Even an eternity is too short."
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