BITTER HALF
Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, had a
nagging and quarrelsome wife, Xanthippe. One day she shouted furiously at
Socrates and his friends. Finding no reaction, she got into a violent temper. She
picked up a bucket full of washing water and poured it on the head of Socrates.
He remarked with a smile, to his friends, "We know that a thunder will be
followed by a rain!" Later, he advised a young man, "By all means,
marry. If you get a good wife, you will become happy. If you get a bad one, you
will become a philosopher."
A recent cartoon depicted
the most effective seat belt for a husband driving with his wife in the other seat in the front. It effectively covers the
wife's mouth while supporting him. Its advantage is that it lets him drive without her
interference!
The
teacher of biology in a school distributed plantlets to all the students with
instructions to plant them near their home, look after the growing plants
regularly and observe their condition every day. All the students except one
reported that the plants were growing steadily. One student complained that his
plantlets refused to grow. The teacher questioned him and discovered the
reason. The boy was in the habit of examining the roots of the plants every day
after pulling them out of the soil in order to assess the growth of the plants.
Obviously, his idiotic over-enthusiasm had deprived the plant of an essential
condition for steady growth - lack of disturbance!
A retreat programme was progressing in a parish. As the concluding
ceremony, a procession of the faithful, each carrying a cross was arranged. The
priest announced, “We have arranged enough crosses for all of you. Now each of
you may carry your cross and join the procession around the church.” Suddenly a
man rushed to the side where ladies were seated. He grabbed his wife and lifted
her up. Turning to the angry priest he said, “Father, she is my cross!”
An over-enthusiastic and highly religious lady
was worried that her husband was a heavy drinker. She used to torment him by
her constant complaints and unnecessary
advises. With much effort, she managed to bring him to a Charismatic
convention. After informing the organizers, she occupied a seat close to her
husband's seat and was continuously disturbing him, expressing irritation
whenever he showed any sign of sleep or restlessness. She frequently complained
to the priest that her husband was not attentive. The priest finally told her
sternly, "Please occupy a seat in a different place and leave him alone. Tell
more about him to God and less about God to him. It is God's grace and not your
presence that will transform him."
Let us add to every prayer the words taught by
Jesus in the 'Lord's prayer'. He taught His disciples, "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"
{Matthew 6: 10}.
Several families maintain peace by surrendering to the dominance of the
stronger partner. Real happiness results only when there is close co-operation
and mutual respect between partners. Otherwise the better half becomes the bitter
half. In several oriental Christian churches, during the sacrament of
matrimony, the priest adorns both the husband and the wife with the matrimonial
ring. It symbolizes that the spouse is received from God. Matrimony is thus a
union of three - the husband, wife and God. Marriages are conceived in heaven
and celebrated on earth. The ideal family is an image of heaven.
...........................................................................................................
© By: Prof.
Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science &
Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's
College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public
School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil
John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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