The day I took my ring off…

As I stood here starring at my hand, analysing every finger, wondering what is missing. I couldn’t help but wonder, why my fingers seem so bare. Then it hit me. My ring finger was now empty. The finger that used to hold one of the most valuable possessions I ever owned. Not for the value it held in price, but the value it had in my heart. 

It wasn’t just a decorative piece to make my hands feel pretty. It was a symbol of a love that I deeply held close to me with someone I thought would hold it forever. But how can something so small, hold such power over our lives? It’s just a ring isn’t it? But it’s not. It’s deeper than that. The moment I took that ring off, I felt empty. Something felt missing. I already felt that in my heart, but now it wasn’t just deep inside me anymore, it was for the world to see. For people to know. 

And I wasn’t ready for that. But I couldn’t hold on to it forever. What good would it do to wear a ring that held so much power over me, a ring that let everyone know I was one half of a whole. A ring that told strangers I was taken. 

But when I did take my ring off, what I learned was this; whether I wear that ring or not, it doesn’t define me. It doesn’t define the love that i have or had or shared with that other person. What signifies that is the piece of my heart that will always belong to him. And that can never be removed. 
– Aida M

Dear mother-in-law…

Just because you’re married, you’re under no obligation to be emotionally abused by toxic people. If someone gets bullied, you would tell them to distance themselves from that person. If someone gets treated with no respect, you would tell them they deserve better. If someone gets verbally attacked by not just one person, but a group, you would tell them to separate themselves as far as possible from those people and the situation. Just because she is your mother in law, that doesn’t mean you need to tolerate a hurtful relationship with a cold-hearted person. She is not your marriage. She doesn’t define who you are and she sure as hell can’t make you feel worthless.

If you could tell your mother-in-law one thing, what would it be?

Dear mother-in-law, thanks for reminding me that I am a strong person and will never be broken by your words.

 

The Art Of Marriage

Marriage is a gift and although it may seem easy to get married, the real beauty lies in how much effort and love you put into that marriage everyday for the rest of your lives together. The art of marriage takes understanding, knowing exactly when the other person is angry or upset, but better yet, knowing how to handle and comfort them at their lowest. The art of marriage takes patience and acceptance, not getting frustrated at the little things that wont matter in future and accepting their flaws as the one thing that makes them special. The art of marriage is about respect, understanding what hurts the other person and doing everything in your power to never let them hurt again, but more importantly, never being the reason why they are hurting. The art of marriage takes loyalty, being loyal to your every word and staying loyal to the most important word, ‘love’. The art of marriage takes courage, knowing that you have taken on a responsibility to be everything you can for that other person and always being there for every tear, every struggle, every loss and every pain they may feel. The art of marriage is about friendship, not only being lovers, but being each others best friend and shoulder to lean on. Marriage is an art that may take many years for some to perfect, and some may never finish perfecting it but the true art is in never stopping. Never taking one moment for granted and never giving up on the person that brings the art to life.