Our Sacred Vows

July 2, 2012


 Yesterday we told the children.  I don't think they thought we would ever do it.  I don't think we thought we would ever do it.  We still haven't done it.  But, the divorce must happen.  We must separate ourselves from each other.  Emotionally. Financially.  We cannot be dependent on each other.  The question of the day is:  Should two people continue to be in a marriage just to reach the Golden Anniversary?  Our parents were married for many years.  Until death did they part.  We vowed to do the same.  This is a death.  The death of us in this marriage.  Does that count?


 I took him.  He took me.  We took each other.  We cherished.  We stayed in sickness.  We stayed in health.  We stayed in richer.  We stayed in poorer.  It was better.  It was worse.  We stayed because we thought it would get better.  It got worse.


We always worked on this marriage.  But, years ago the marriage got sick.  It was dying.  We saw it.  We gave it nourishment.  We didn't have the proper nourishment.  It needed treatment.  We gave it treatment.  The treatment didn't work.   We still love.  We still depend.  But, the sickness is too strong for even love.  


We are almost there.  We are almost to the Silver Anniversary.   Do we keep going so we can say we were married for 25 years?  Is there something admirable about keeping a vow even if we are both dying?  We love each other, but there is some disease that has invaded our union and neither of us can cure it.  


What if two people realize they are slowly poisoning each other?  They are no longer productive together.  


The poison is too strong.  It killed us.  It killed our marriage.  We did stay until death made us part.  We did fulfill our vows.