Don’t you just love the buzz that’s in the air at the moment. Not only are the bumblebees evident but spring is well underway. Life is looking lovely once more. Light mornings, hearing the birds begin their day. Light evenings, being able to sit outside after work and enjoy the company of others. All around the fields and hedgerows there are signs of new life. Time to start again. Many couples are beginning to hope that their wedding will at last be able to go ahead, with the guest list they had wished for.
Guests are important for any celebration, for a wedding they are especially so. These are the people who surround you while you’re making commitment to be by the side of someone you love, whatever life may bring. Two individuals becoming one in partnership. Guests are there to bestow their good wishes. To witness this happy time in a couples life. A wedding ceremony is not only about two people in love. Couples do not live in isolation afterwards. Their love for each other becomes their source of strength, not only for themselves but also for those around them, their guests.
Whenever we attend a wedding, we are given the opportunity to reflect on our own relationships. We might look at the couple before us and be tempted to compare their love to the quality of our own relationships. The truth is that every relationship is as unique as the individuals in it, but one thing holds true: For love to exist between two people, each person must allow the vulnerability of giving his or her love to the other, and each must be open to receiving the other’s love in turn.
Those married a long time must resist the urge to give the new couple advice, honed from their own experiences of married life. We can be there to support and help when requested. Every couple must charter their own path. Its part of the joy of married life, the discovery of the unknown. Highs and lows. Couples will be faced with them all. It’s up to them to deal with them in a way that is best for them.
There are some pearls of wisdom though, that are common threads in all successful marriages. Forgiveness, listening to each other, being best friends, work together, laugh together, enjoy each other, be honest.
Perhaps most importantly – don’t rush through life’s landmarks but take time to enjoy each moment.