My latest offering in the Sun explores community and social pressure to get married and have kids.
“A good friend of mine got married some five years ago. She married her childhood sweetheart. Before the marriage, while having an afternoon coffee with her, discussing her plans for her married life (because guys rarely discuss the actual wedding), strangely she sobered up.
She said, “It’s convenient, Daniel. It’s time I got married and he’s there.” It wasn’t my imagination, her eyes glinted with unshed tears.”
For more, click here. For pdf download, click here.
Unsurprisingly, I got an email response post haste:
Not appearing to be sanctimonious, I write this in response to Daniel Chandranayagam’s column-[ Pushed Into Marriage’ in the August 26 theSun newspaper] that marriage is a most necessary institution; a wonderful state that can help the human ‘animal’ to evolve to becoming a tolerant, patient, sharing and caring human being; a little less selfish, involved in his own needs!
Yes, both my husband and I– two strangers thirty years ago were ‘pushed’ into marriage by our well meaning respective sets of parents. It has not been smooth sailing but we have three wonderful children and a host of relatives as a consequence of our arranged marriage. Now in hind sight, we thank our parents for bringing us together.
But now the scenario has changed. Children ask their parents–” How can YOU choose my life partner? It is my life!” I just hope that young men and women believe in marriage and work at it instead of giving up easily. Children are a joy and we relive our youth in them and then they may reciprocate all the love we showered on them in our final days!
Marriage is still the best institution ancient man has created and we must teach our children to enter it fearlessly and create happy family units so the human race may continue to inhabit this planet peacefully!
It is an interesting response to the column and I respect the reader for her opinion. At least she took the time to read the piece.