PESTERING PARTNERS
A sick man was brought to a hospital by
his pestering wife. She was very dominating and talkative. The doctor examined
the patient in detail. But the wife was a constant disturbance, annoying him by
her persistent pestering. Finally the doctor told the man, "You badly need
some rest. I shall prescribe a sedative drug (sleeping pill). Give it to your
wife."
God created man in His image. Then He instituted
the family in the image of heaven, hoping that it would be a heaven of
happiness. But pestering partners often make it a hell of horror. Referring to
women who harass their husbands with petty annoyances and repeated demands, an
evangelist said humorously, "God created Adam first. Then He slept, pleased
with His creation. Then He created Eve. From that day both God and Adam lost
their sleep!"
God formed Eve from a rib of Adam. It is said
that God did not choose a bone from the head or foot of Adam to make Eve, with
a very good intention. If she was made from a bone from his head, she would
claim superiority and try to be his boss. If she was made from a bone from his
foot, he would have tried to be her
boss, suppress her and treat her as his slave. Creating a partner from a rib
which is close to the heart implies that the partners are equal before God and
have equal rights and responsibilities to make their family a heaven of
happiness. They should render hearty support to each other even during
disappointment, disability, discomfort, distress, disease or disaster.
Matrimony is a sacred sacrament, a
source of divine grace. Marital partners participate in God's act of creation.
Their attitudes and actions should be
complementary and not contradictory.
There
is a legend about the return of the Holy Family after the exile in Egypt. They
reached a junction and could not locate the correct route to Nazareth. They
sought the guidance of a youthful young man, but he got angry, cursed them and
walked away without providing any help. Then they approached another young man
who gladly guided them and even accompanied them to make sure that they reached
Nazareth safely. St. Mary asked child Jesus about the best reward for the two
young men. Jesus said, the first person who was bad-mannered should receive a
saintly and good-natured wife who would correct him and transform him. The
kind, compassionate and considerate man should get a bad-mannered wife so that
he can transform her by his sanctity.
Dave Meurer said, "A great marriage
is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple
learns to enjoy their differences." Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC) said,
"Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife."
St. Paul teaches, "Every
husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband"
{Ephesians 5: 33}.
..........................................................................................................
© 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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