Sydney lived across the hall from Miri and me a few years ago. She and I became friends and concert buddies one night when we decided to go and see a Ben Kweller concert on a whim, the first of many concerts we would attend together. For the last couple of years, I've watched Sydney do all kinds of amazing things, from running off to exotic places like India and Nepal, to organizing BYU's annual Hunger banquet. This essay was written as an entry for "This I Believe," a very cool project that just recently stopped being a radio show on NPR. Enjoy! -Megan This I believe… The Power of Two
I believe that two people can find each other and be happy for the rest of their lives, together, forever. As an unmarried college student, I am surrounded by various theories of love. I have heard about a sort of free, non-committal love that is supposed to be threatening the youth of today. It is based on the idea that ‘monogamy is dead’ and that it is the collection of our experiences that will make us whole. But I still believe that one person will hold the key to my heart and we will find everlasting happiness in the well of life, sharing our love, saving the world, raising our kids, spoiling our grandkids and growing old together. I volunteer at a Domestic Violence shelter and have seen some awful effects of bad marriages. In my training they told me over and over again that this can happen to anyone, anywhere. Yet, I still believe that my marriage will be special and different, if I believe enough. And I have heard the divorce rates, one of every two marriages ends in divorce, it’s higher if it’s the second and even more if it’s the third. Despite these odds, my parents have been married thirty years and my grandparents have been married fifty two. Somehow, I feel exempt from it all. In the face of shattering families and broken marriage, I still believe in the power of two. This I believe.
5 comments:
I love that you feel exempt from broken marriage and promise. As a married (over three years now) college student I too can reciprocate your post. I believe in the power of two but most importantly in the power of three...if you invite God into your marriage and He is an equal party to your union there is no way it will fail. Thank you for this post. It is great to know that people can still believe in love in a world so full of hate and lonleyness.
Yes! I believe in the power of two too. Thanks for defying the odds! :D my parents are still married after 35 years and my grandparents for nearing 70 years before they passed away. I believe my story will be just as successful, and as Melissa said, it will be such because the power of three. God brings in a spirit of humility and selflessness and has got to be encorporated in a party of 2.
This is so well written and profound. Thank you!
agreed. i remember after i got married thinking, "no matter what happens, we will work things out because we love each other." i think that as long as 2 people are willing to talk about their problems and are willing to keep trying, they can be avoid marital disaster. if each partner loves their spouse more than they love being angry or right, 2 people can make a beautiful marriage.
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