This morning I spoke to a group of male business owners on leadership. As I was leaving, one of the men stopped me and asked me what I consider a strange question. He asked me how a person could make himself (or herself) ready for marriage. I looked at him and said I dont understand that question. His concern was that there are so many single moms in his neighborhood and their kids are running loose all the time. I wondered what that had to do with marriage. He said that if they were married and had a two-parent family that this would not be happening. I disagree. Just because a family has two parents, that doesnt mean the kids wont be running around all the time. In some communities, thats just the way it is. Its a way of life. Remember the term It takes a village? That applies here. Everyone has different experiences. We all have different lives; we live in different parts of the world. There is no such thing as a blanket solution for everything. Making two people marry for the sake of the children is never a good solution. Thats a recipe for disaster for the parents and the kids. Now, the most interesting part of this story is that the man asking the question was an older gentleman who had been divorced twice. He, of all people, should have recognized that a blanket solution wouldnt work. It didnt work for him or either of his wives. Again, thats just the way it is. Some marriages are meant to be short term or not at all. Today, many people choose to stay single for a longer period of time and theres nothing wrong with that. Because we are all different, blanket solutions do not work for everyone. The next time you hear one proposed, ask yourself if it would work for you. Chances are it probably wont. |
