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The effects of failed marriages rarely end with the couple (Photo: iStock)
Recently, I met a friend whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. The last time we met, we were both single, but a lot has changed since then. After spending some time catching up, she told me she had separated from her husband. I was surprised at first because I knew them both. Yet, sadly, such stories have become increasingly common.
Of everything we talked about, one thing she said stayed with me for a while. She said a couple doesn’t need to be in love to make the marriage work; all it takes is for each person to be a decent human being. Decency and respect shape how couples approach each other, especially during difficult moments, and that, ultimately, is what leads to a successful marriage.
Marriage lowers the expectations we build during courtship. Without those expectations, we probably wouldn’t marry in the first place. The castles we build in the build-up to marriage have a purpose. However, these castles eventually come down, one by one, and marriage is meant to stand on a different foundation. To my friend, that foundation is decency.
