Thursday Thoughts: Marriage is a Journey
"Marriage for us all is a journey, with many highlights, some lowlights, and lots of stations along the way. For many it becomes a destination while for others it remains a journey with parties alighting at various points. Marriage certainly has its ups and downs with lots of dry gullies to be negotiated and fortunately many redeeming aspects. As with life, some handle the journey better than others." Our Co-founder Mike Emerson shares his thoughts on the Journey that is Marriage.
“We love the little saying attributed to Linkletter “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
We could not help noticing the couple sharing morning tea at the cafe on the ground floor of our building this morning. Both seemed in their eighties. Let’s just call them Rick and Jan.
At one stage, Jan got up, apparently to order a taxi, leaving Rick – complete with walking stick – at the table. As Jan walked toward the doorway of the cafe, Rick, with a broad and very genuine smile uttered in quite audible terms, “Thanks sweetie”. I said to Jan “He’s a smoothie isn’t he?” and without hesitating, she responded “It’s continuous. I get it all the time. I’m so lucky”.
After she left, I asked Rick, “How many years do you two have up?” and he replied “Thirty. It’s the second one for both of us”. I then asked “How long was the first?”. Rick replied “Fourteen”. He then said that his first wife had just lost her third husband and that she says Jan is her best friend and they all get along.
We didn’t get time to talk more as Jan came back to say the taxi had arrived, but it was clear from our brief conversation that Rick and Jan had various layers of complexity in their lives. The overwhelming feature as they walked off was, however, their self evident happiness in each other’s company, with Rick’s broad smile and Jan’s kind caring nature so apparent.
I suppose you could say that despite the past challenges in their lives, Rick and Jan are making the best of the way things have turned out for them.”
Mike Emerson is a Mediator, Family Lawyer and Co-founder of Brisbane Mediations. His drive, enthusiasm and passion for helping people in conflict have lead to him having one of the highest success rates for resolving disputes in Brisbane.
Thursday Thoughts is a new weekly slot with contributions from our Management Team and Panel of Mediators. To sign up and receive a copy by email, use the form on the right.