HAPPY 31ST ANNIVERSARY TO MY PARENTS!

Posted: September 30th, 2009 | Author: A.J. | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Marriage, Never Marry but for love, parents, William Penn | No Comments »

 

This post is dedicated to my parents who today have been married for 31 years.  To the two people most important to my development I wish a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Thirty-one years of marriage is, sadly, not the norm these days, especially among black families.  And I’ve been fortunate enough to have two outstanding role models for what, someday, I hope to have for myself.

I found this William Penn poem, titled Never Marry But For Love, that adequately expresses my sentiments:

Never marry but for love; but see that thou lovest what is lovely. He that minds a body and not a soul has not the better part of that relationship, and will consequently lack the noblest comfort of a married life.

Between a man and his wife nothing ought rule but love. As love ought to bring them together, so it is the best way to keep them well together.

A husband and wife that love one another show their children that they should do so too. Others visibly lose their authority in their families by their contempt of one another, and teach their children to be unnatural by their own examples.

Let not enjoyment lessen, but augment, affection; it being the basest of passions to like when we have not, what we slight when we possess.

Here it is we ought to search out our pleasure, where the field is large and full of variety, and of an enduring nature; sickness, poverty or disgrace being not able to shake it because it is not under the moving influences of worldly contingencies.

Nothing can be more entire and without reserve; nothing more zealous, affectionate and sincere; nothing more contented than such a couple, nor greater temporal felicity than to be one of them.

Congratulations Al and Toni!

//A.J.

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