A Lifetime Vow or Just a Promise Lightly Given?

Just recently I was invited to witness a wedding ceremony held at my own town. I could recall how I rushed from my work to spot a simple but elegant gift and came late.

Isolated at the back, I stared at the enthralling white gown, the long veil that covered the brides face and I was thinking if it's the paramount wedding expenses why the groom seemed speechless.

After the ceremony, we headed at the reception area just behind the church. A room filled with myriad of guests. My friend who happened to be the bride's sister had left me alone at our table to assist others. Two unfamiliar faces shared seats with me, a not so old woman and a young lady.

"I'm very glad to see her getting married, she's very lucky", the woman initiated the conversation and I responded with a smile.

She began telling me stories about her own married life and found myself asking outright questions. A mother that affirmed her children that once they finished their studies they can go wed the next day without any further questions .Cool mom.

She feels pity for those who chose to be old maiden.

"Is it really necessary to get married?", I asked hoping she would take side of singlehood.

"Of course!", an answer with conviction but this time it almost blowed my eardrums.

"Get a car, a house and everything. Having all before getting married? that's stupid! You and you're partner shall work things out together", the woman conveyed.

Speaking with someone who's working as a teacher for 26 years, I decided to just listen like a student.

Shoving off from single life can be thrilling and exciting. Hope for the best and expect for the worse . According to the statistics, in US itself, 50% of marriage are predicted to end up in divorce.Sounds like half life and half death, 50% of uncertainties.

Another friend of mine finally heard what she's been waiting for...a marriage proposal. And as a wafting feeling begins, just right in time another man came in and tried to shake her life. A man that posses almost all characters she's looking for. I could feel the dilemma she's going through. I advised her to give way to what she feels for the other man and never ever get wed if she has a doubt as tiny as a mustard seed because from that tiny doubt will come a big failure.

Some had forgotten that marriage is a covenant, a lifetime vow. Marriage isn't a game that you quit when you get tired. Disparity may sets in but love and respect shall prevail. I am reared in a land where divorce is not permissible. I have nothing against those people who are in great favor of it but apparently liberal minds lost the true meaning of marriage.

Unknown

There are days I'm feeling strange. My own mind keeps telling me nothing but fallacy and silence could be better than sounds of truth. It's a denial with no idea till when. Perhaps till i get over it. It's another rough road, I'm not alone, I never was.

A Shot of Horror

Checking my e-mail at my workstation, I opened one message with a subject "FWD:This photo won a pulitzer award". A t first glance it was a strange photo but after scrutinizing the phrase at the bottom, i was shell-shocked. Those few words are too much that made me teary eyed. I thought i was just being too emotional and so i did a research with details I got and found out that this piece of image made the world weep...

Considered as the biggest country in Africa,Sudan is located in Northern part of the said continent, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea . It really felt bad to know that famine occured long before and after the year 1994. Sudan is a nation engulfed by war and it was a long term crisis . Its true "history repeats itself" and people never learns. They had poor access for basic necessities and i doubt if they know what health care means. Large number of children and even elders died because of malnutrition and starvation. How come these things happened at such extreme point? I may not have a profound understanding about the whole scenario but the hell with their government officials and i hope that this horror won't happen on my own land.

Kevin carter, a famous South African photograper won Pulitzer Award as a recognition for the photo shown above. Many of his photos published were given strong reactions by media. I couldn't imagine a man who's doing great with his job but ended up comitting suicide right after his fame. I think it's not just the photos but the actual scene he witnessed as others struggled. I'd rather view the photo rather than see it myself . Mr. Carter killed himself with a suicide notes left as he was being haunted by these horrible facts.

The toddler with a thin body crawling on the ground on the way to the feeding station,wanting food up to the last breath and the vulture that if only i could break its wings and hang it dead on a tree, they clearly state one of the philosophies in life... "survival of the fittest". A vulture waiting for the toddler's death, how come a flying creature survives over a young child? worse...

It was like a story where the ending lies on the reader.

what happened to the little girl? did anyone passed by and pick her body? wasn't anyone bother rush her through the feeding station? the vulture? did it harm the toddlers body? i can't spare my mind from these questions.

Life isn't easy for many us, we have shortcomings and downsides. We have financial issues that we deal over and over again. Either we complain or expect too much. Take another glance at the photo...i said take another glance, don't just see...feel. Do you realized how blessed you are? Are you giving up crawling on the ground of life's adversity? Thank God that you're right there at your seat surfing the net and later after going through this article you have a home waiting for you and a dinner with your family.

So much for me to say, let this be enough. Such photo moved my...mind and emotion.