The Point of Marriage
"The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust. A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky."- Rainer Maria Rilke
I am not sure how much of the above citation I agree with--elements, yes, but the entirety, no--but it is expressed with such certainty that I have no doubt as to the belief of the author that these words are, indeed, true for her.
And with that I bid you a good night.
mmm, I learned a lot about marriage by going through a divorce.
ResponderEliminarThe best marriage in my eyes is one where both parties would be fine without the other. A good marriage is like the icing on your favorite cake. The kind you could eat all day without icing. Marriage compliments, not overrrides or smothers.
But that's just my most humble opinion.
Complements. Agreed, Z. That is ideal, complementary lives. That allow each to grow, change, but also to grow together and to make each a better person in the process by realizing love and the selflessness that love is. Too much dependency is not good; however, too much independence can foster imbalance and lack of communication.
ResponderEliminarAll in the balance--and obviously, the balance is different for each pair.
In my most humble (and evidently mistaken) opinion!
Thank you, Z. I love what you have to say.