Blessings from the parents

Hi everyone ~

My family and I attended my cousin's wedding in NY last week.

There is always something about family reunions during weddings - it is full of laughter, memories and shared experiences.    Happy times indeed to celebrate love between the young couple, as well as to reaffirm one's ties among family members and friends.    Some guests came from all over the world to witness the happy occasion.

Among all the beautiful things I noticed during the wedding reception are the wedding pictures of the parents of the bride and groom.   I thought it was beautiful tribute to the love of their parents, who now join them in wishing them all the best.   Both fathers gave touching tributes to their wives during the speech, and I find it heartening to see both parents enjoying the merriment and laughter, along with the guests.    The blessings of the parents is the most precious gift to receive on this wedding day.

As parents, we may not be aware of it, but our children look up to us as role models for their relationships, and their partners in life.     As I listen to the young couple repeating their vows in the church, and again sharing a touching tribute to each other during the reception, I am reminded of my own wedding, my own vows, and my own start in marriage.     I wish them all the best~

 

Royal Wedding: Perfect love

I have watched the videos of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton countless times.   Yes, I even woke up early to watch the telecast live.   I admit I am an eternal romantic, and even got teary eyed when they said their solemn vows.  Whenever I hear those vows, it always reminds me of the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.  The couple has  been together for many years, even living together as modern couples now do. But in that beautiful ceremony, their union as husband and wife was officially blessed by the church, and by society.

You would think that with the challenges of remaining happily married in the public eye, that famous people like Prince William and Kate Middleton, including celebrities, will not get married.   With the alarming high rates of divorce and separations, some people balked at the idea of formally tying the knot with their loved one.   The popularity of marriage has certainly gone down in the recent years with many couples opting for living together, rather than marriage.  In Canada, this arrangement is made easier because the significant other is given the same rights and benefits, as that of a spouse.

So why were there a lot of optimism and hope for this beautiful young couple as millions of people around the world watched the ceremony?   Because they represent to us the "perfect wedding" - that moment in time where we all dream of falling in love with the Prince and living happily after.   Perhaps time will tell if this marriage will last or not.

But on this special day,  "Will and Kate" embodies our eternal hope that there is love, and it is perfect.

The secret of great relationships

What one simple thing can you do to make a big difference in your relationships?

There is a story of a married woman who was very frustrated about her relationship with her husband.  She felt that the husband was not helping her in the home, was unresponsive to her conversations, and generally found fault with everything that he did.


The marriage counselor told her to try one thing:   To thank the husband for something that he did for the day, and not to expect any response from him.   So, she went home and tried to notice one good thing  that her husband did.   Sure enough, she noticed that he bought some groceries home.   She said, "Thank you for buying these items today".    The next day, she said, "Thank you for preparing my coffee."   She did this for the next few days, saying thanks to her husband for a chore or a deed, and not expecting anything in return.


The husband was at first surprised about the change of behavior but noticed increasingly that she was thanking him, more than once a day.   After a few weeks,   he said to her one day,  "Thanks for the supper - it was good."    From this time on, he started thanking her for the little things that she did.


When the marriage counselor checked with the woman after a few weeks, the woman said that their relationship was going great and that she was lucky to have a caring and thoughtful husband.


So what changed?


Just one simple word but it worked wonders ~

Here is a wonderful video about the secret of great relationships:  
The 100/0 Principle from Simple Truths:

Simple Truths - We Hope You Enjoyed the movie!

Thank you to everyone who visits my blog!

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