It’s sad to hear that nowadays it’s a common thing for husband and wives to be separated. In a country like the Philippines, where there is no divorce and with a very traditional and conservative outlook on marriage, being separated is a hard process, most especially if there are children involved.
Recently, we attended a talk regarding parenting at my son’s school. I was happy that hubby blocked his calendar to attend this very important activity for his son. The talk was conducted by Arun Gogna, who is a sought-after national and international lay preacher. I have attended one of his talks during my younger days and I have been impressed.
During the talk, Arun injected a lot of humor which made it more interesting for parents like us. A lot of what he talked about, are things that we all knew but needs to be reiterated. Although one important thing that really stuck me is his last statement about parenting..
“Parenting is how you treat your spouse.”
He reminded us that our children will mirror the way we treat our partner. If we show love and affection, they will feel loved and be confident about themselves. On the other hand, if we show hatred and disrespect to each other, our children will tend to reflect on these negative behavior.
I am glad and grateful, that despite our humble beginnings as husband and wife, we have learned to love and respect each other and have constantly shown this to our children. Even though I sometimes look at diamond wedding rings and wish that I have one of those, my present relationship with my husband is priceless and I cannot ask for anything more but to give us the much needed strength to endure whatever life has to offer.
For both us, having kids have strengthened the bonds of our marriage. I am truly blessed and I thank the Lord for that.
