"Having just received the good news about a friend's marriage in Australia, my thought for today is dedicated to Annette and her better half and is centred upon the ups and down of all loving relationships. Looking after a marriage between a man and a woman is very much like tending to a garden. For some, the struggle part may become so great that they end up with a big stinking compost heap, which they abandon because they do not possess the foresight to take from it the goodness it contains once all the heat and smell has been extracted. For others they may develop a taste for some of the more exotic produce and neglect their staple fruit and veg: they are destined for fruitless affairs and extra marital relationships that will last one season, tops. For the true gardener however, their plot of land will not be viewed any differently than a good marriage. They know that if it is tended well, it will bear good fruit season after season and if neglected too much, especially at the harshest times of year, nothing of worth will grow. To the man and woman who love their garden, they will see it very much as a true reflection of their union. They will view both as a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself."
William Forde, May 15th 2012. (My marriage present and reminder to Annnete and her partner).
William Forde, May 15th 2012. (My marriage present and reminder to Annnete and her partner).
