| There is nothing as fulfilling and self satisfying as | | | | Indeed he cried because he wished he could turn |
| accomplishing a goal. If you embark on a journey and | | | | back the hands of the clock, whished he could have |
| you finally get to your destination, you heave a sigh | | | | her right beside him to remind him of the memories |
| of relief. You thank God for journey mercies; you are | | | | he may have forgotten and make his day complete. |
| satisfied for an eventful and successful outing | | | | We all know that, certain facts about life cannot be |
| regardless of how it went. Hence you call for | | | | changed. She is long gone but the legacy she left |
| celebration by taking a good shower, enjoy a nice | | | | behind remains strong and that is the bond within the |
| meal and probably tuck yourself in for a beautiful | | | | family, undiluted and uniting love. |
| night. | | | | Why was he in shock on his supposed birthday? Two |
| The same applies to our love lives. The first step is | | | | weeks to the event, the children in diasporas |
| to embark on a dating journey. How successful it | | | | organized a surprised birthday, They engaged friends |
| turns out to fully depends on the parties involved. If | | | | and families to secrecy, planned all activities through |
| you are lucky to cross this dating stage and you | | | | them, invited all their father's friends and associates |
| have established good relationship, you may be | | | | and made his best friend coordinate all activities while |
| heading for the next level which is marriage. The | | | | they plan their trips home. Meanwhile, they kept |
| success of which also lies in the two people involved. | | | | calling their father, making all excuses that will |
| If you are successful in your marriage, it reflects in | | | | prevent them from honoring him on this special |
| you, your children and the family as a whole. You | | | | occasion. At the same time, plans were in top gear |
| radiate warmth and the feeling of love grows | | | | to make the birthday a remarkable one. |
| abundantly around you. | | | | On the D-day, the celebrants best friend who had |
| Where are my headed with all these allusion? I am | | | | been pressuring him to attend a function with him |
| simply joyous when I see marriages that work. When | | | | instead of staying back at home to brood over his |
| I see old couples with their lovely grey hair, strolling | | | | children not coming home, showed up and encourage |
| hand in hand, chatting and smiling without a care | | | | him to attend this special function with him. The |
| about the world around them, enjoying happiness and | | | | celebrant obliged reluctantly. On getting to the venue, |
| bliss that a happy marriage brings, I feel proud and | | | | he was amazed at the esthetics and décor, |
| happy. In the midst of battering, deception and | | | | he imagine the celebrant to be one top celebrity in |
| divorce that have become the order of the day in | | | | view of the entire splendor. The moment he stepped |
| our modern society, it is a tough job maintaining | | | | into the hall, his world stood still. Lo and behold, all his |
| happy marriages. Whoever is lucky to weather that | | | | children lined the walk way to usher him in. All guests |
| storm deserve outright merit. | | | | stood up to usher him in with beautiful birthday songs |
| Sometimes we only appreciate what we have when | | | | rendering the air. He was dumbfounded, became |
| our partner is no more. If you have had a wonderful | | | | tongue twisted and shed tears of joy. The first |
| and memorable relationship, you definitely know that | | | | statement he could utter was 'I am a fulfilled man'. |
| losing a partner to death is like losing a part of your | | | | He gathered himself together and narrated his |
| soul. | | | | journey so far in love with his late wife as earlier |
| I want to share an experience garnered at a 70th | | | | described which culminated into the kind of children |
| birthday celebration recently. The celebrant has five | | | | he has. The love to keep the children as one family |
| lovely children, all happily married but they all reside | | | | with him led him to a decision not to remarry after |
| abroad, his beloved wife died about fifteen years | | | | his late wife's death. To him, she was simply his jewel |
| ago. The week he turned 70, they all called on phone | | | | of inestimable value. |
| expressing apologies why they may not be able to | | | | How emotional we all can be when we have good |
| come home for his birthday but promised to make it | | | | memories to live with. I am sure within our minds; this |
| up to him. The exact day he turned 70 was a | | | | would send us into our different worlds. For those |
| Saturday and he was full of tears, shock and | | | | whose marriages are far from being happy, you can |
| emotion laden. Why? | | | | still make it happen, do not wait till your spouse is |
| He went into reminiscence. He remembered the way | | | | dead and live in regrets of what you could have |
| he dated his wife, the fond memories they shared | | | | changed. |
| together, their dreams and aspirations over the | | | | For me, there is joy in love; there is joy in loving and |
| children, how they planned to live their old age which | | | | joy in being loved in return. I want to look back in |
| never came to be. He remembered how his late wife | | | | my later years and smile, be happy that I have had a |
| made him feel and how she showered him with | | | | loved filled life. I want to be able to come up one |
| undying love. How she dotted over the children, | | | | day and celebrate love and what love has done to |
| showered them love without sidelining his own | | | | me. I want to be fulfilled in love. Wouldn't you rather |
| personal feelings as the husband. He went on and on | | | | celebrate love than live in regrets and unhappiness? |
| into his past and tears fell freely unto his face. | | | | |