Marriage Moats- Make Mine Evergreen- Part 11
Published: Mon, 06/11/12
| Marriage Moats | Caring for Marriage |
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 (If you want to hear Lori read the story click)here Harvey and Mona
talked late into the night about all they had heard and learned. They
agreed it was the right path for them to take. On their next to last
session before the wedding, Mona had another question.
"Larry and
Marjorie, you have described the commitment that each of the couples you
counsel with has made. It is an enormous gift that you give to them.
Does there ever come a point when they no longer meet with a mentor
couple, or add to their marriage fund?"
Marjorie smiled as
she reached for Mona's hand. "You are a wise one, to wonder how far it
goes into the future. After a long time, we offer couples a chance to
graduate, in a manner of speaking. When they feel like they are solid
enough to reciprocate, they have a different kind of ceremony. It is
attended by their mentor couple, their parents, their children and close
friends. They talk about what the agreements have meant to them, and
they make a promise to give back. That is the end of other people's
contribution to their fund, and they begin to deposit money in the
account that we use to invest in other couples such as yourselves. Some
of them are lavishly generous."
"Then comes one of my
favorite parts of the whole process." Larry leaned forward in his seat,
speaking as if it were classified information. "We make one last
withdrawal from their funds to purchase a tree. The rest of us sneak
around talking about just what kind of tree to choose, a fruit tree, or
an oak, a pine tree or a dogwood. Then we help them to dig a hole and
plant it in a special place. They become part of the root system, giving
strength and stability to other marriages. Some people plant it in
their own yard, others in a local park for many people to enjoy."
"I have seen new
trees planted on the church property! I never knew who put them there."
Mona loved being privy to this rite of passage. She already began
daydreaming about what kind of tree people would pick for them.
"Then... we eat!!
The couple hosts a feast to commemorate the love and support of all the
people who have fed their marriage over the years. We are talking about
great food and plenty of it," Larry assured them.
"But I am not a very good cook yet," Mona worried.
"There is time, sweetheart. There is time," Marjorie smiled as if she could already taste the hors d'oeuvres.
to be continued Photo by Andy Sullivan
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