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Promises Made, Promises Kept
Promises Made, Promises Kept
?For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, from this day
forward 'til death do us part.
My wife and I have been married for around twenty years and during that
time we've never had a fight. I'm fond of telling people that, if two
people were ever made for each other, we were made for each other.
Everything fits - we know each other's thoughts; we finish each other's
sentences; we try to put the other's needs ahead of our own. But, the
story of our marriage and our love for one another goes much deeper than
that.
Within a few years of our exchanging vows, I was "officially"
diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. We had suspected RA was the cause
of the problems that I had been having because my mother had lived with
RA for many years and we were familiar with the symptoms. Because most
of the major joint damage had already been done by the time I was
diagnosed, my condition deteriorated rapidly and we began to realize
that she would have to play a major part in taking care of me for the
rest of my life. It was a devastating development but she never wavered
in her commitment to me. At many times during these last years, she has
had to, or in some cases continues to, dress me, help me bathe, and even
help with brushing my teeth or my hair.
When I was originally diagnosed with RA, she could have done the obvious
and divorced me and found her someone in better physical condition that
would be able to provide for her - but she never considered it. I am
eternally grateful that she has continued to love and cherish me but
more than that, I genuinely admire my wife for having the courage and
the character to do the right thing and honor her wedding vows.
Though our difficulties because of RA have been rather minor compared to
what many people have had to go through, our difficulties have been much
more challenging than those faced by many couples where one of them
chose to "bail out" on their promises. Some who read this
might be faced with that now - will your spouse "do the right
thing" and stand by those promises they made you or will they give
up because of some flimsy reasoning? For your sakes, I hope that your
spouse chooses to go the distance in your relationship. My wife's
irrevocable, ironclad commitment to me and those vows she made to me so
many years ago have really sustained us both during the hard times. I
pray that all of you can find that same soul-filled peace and joy that
we have found in our loving one another and that we will continue to
enjoy until our last days.
?For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, from this day
forward 'til death do us part. We said it and, thankfully, we meant it.
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