February 2000 |
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Living
"Happily ever After" |
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Brad
Stone, Families Worldwide In November of 1975 I first set eyes on the girl of my dreams. I literally had fireworks going off inside, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. At first glance I knew I had met my wife. Sound like a fairy tale? Well, it gets better. Nine days later we were engaged to be married. Still sound like a fairy tale? It still gets better. After nearly 24 years of marriage, 5 kids later, not to mention two adorable grandchildren, I am more in love with the girl of my dreams than the first day that I met her. Sound like a fairy tale? Well, if you want to call it that. I call it exercising the greatest form of love in a marital relationship. Unconditional love. Our life together hasn't been a fairy tale of "living happily ever after." It's been a life of serving one another, even when we felt like it was our turn to be served. It has taken me years to learn this beautiful characteristic for a beautiful marriage. My wife and I have learned that it is far better, and more fun, to find special ways to help and serve each other than to be served. These ways come in the form of everyday responsibilities: washing dishes, dusting furniture, making the bed, writing love notes, and yes, even changing dirty diapers. (I don't think I ever did well with that one!) The divorce courts are full of couples that have demanded fairness and equality with their relationships, always more concerned with themselves instead of their partners. I don't quite understand how the equility thing works in our relationship with our individual goal being to serve our spouse without expecting anything in return. You would think that over time it would become a one sided relationship. The magical thing about it is that the more we have given, the more we have received. Yes, we did have times in our marriage when personal selfishness controlled our actions. But those seemed few and far between. When we finally discovered this beautiful thing called service without expectancy of repayment, our relationship blossomed and grew. As I approach my 25th year of marriage, I want my sweetheart to know that I would do anything for her. . . and she knows what I mean. That is the true love to live "happily ever after." Brad Stone
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If you are interested in additional information, or would like to set up a Families Worldwide Chapter in your community, please feel free to contact us via e-mail. Families
Worldwide
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