Tell your story #38: Some Realities of 21st-century Marriages

Hello, Reader!

Welcome to my blog. This week on Tell your story by @ruthjoe, I'd like to share a sensitive story that has been on my heart these last few weeks. Please I'd like to invite @ninapenda and @wuddi to join the next story week. Much love.

My Story

The sky was always blue at our end even when the sun was not shining. It started when a newly wedded couple moved downstairs about 5 years ago. Their union was something similar to what you would see in the movies. Both couple were young and cared for each other. It filled the teenagers and singletons in the compound with so much longing to experience true love.

Photo by Safari Consoler from Pexels

Aunty Debby was an epitome of beauty. Her bright eyes and soft smiles made her the teens' favourite. We confided our high-school love struggles with her and she gave us the best advice on what and what-not to do so we do not make silly mistakes.

Uncle Samuel's kind of Prince charming was something only heaven could produce. He loved and worshipped his wife. It was so obvious that everyone, even the clueless adolescents in the compound could see it. He'd helped around the house like most 21st-century husbands, look after their two kids and support his wife's NGO which she founded in her early 20s.

Because he was a custom officer, he gradually started spending little time at home. It didn't get long before the custom headquarters deployed him to Kaduna, a state which is about 791 km from Uyo by road. He would stop by the house during the weekends and later once every month.

Since I followed them on social media, I didn't see anything wrong with the two. They still shared funny memes and posts about partners in long distance relationships, couples goals, etc.

Earlier this year, his wife moved out of the house with the kids. News claimed that it might be grounded on infidelity which she had consistently confronted her husband about, yet hadn't gotten any change. Things got so messy that they charged the matter to court to claim custody of the kids.

Some teenagers in the compound started voicing out their fears about marriage. “If this can happen to Aunty Debby and Uncle Sam, what will be our fate?”

Lessons and Reflections

Even though their fears are genuine, I believe there are happy marriages out there. These marriages are there to inspire us to know how to treat our spouses right when we start building our homes.

I don't know about others, but I find myself researching on the key things every marriage needs after that event. I also try to know how to protect children if there is a dissolution of marriage. Sometimes, I see partners try to sow seeds of discord in the heart of these kids against the other parent. For me, this is not a wise decision.

I'd also like to know from you, "What are the secrets to having a long lasting marriage and how can parents protect their children if they ever decide to go their separate ways?"