Marriage Moats- There Art Thou Happy

Published: Tue, 08/14/12

Marriage Moats

Caring for Marriage

(If you want to hear Lori read the story click)here

When I was in seventh grade I listened to Romeo and Juliet until I could recite whole stanzas with all the emotion a twelve year old could muster. It quenched my innocent thirst for love, perhaps postponing the need to talk to actual boys.

Yet the four words that oft visit me forty years later are the ones of Friar Lawrence. There art thou happy. In his egocentric despair Romeo could not lift his weeping head long enough to glimpse his own good fortune. The kindly friar felt compelled to scold him into recognition.

What, rouse thee, man! Thy Juliet is alive,

For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead--

There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee,

But thou slew'st Tybalt--there art thou happy.

The law that threatened death becomes thy friend

And turns it to exile--there art thou happy.

A pack of blessings light upon thy back,

Happiness courts thee in her best array.

It can take more than a casual effort to look over your shoulder and notice the blessings that you carry light upon your back.

Last week John realized that the air conditioner the boarders were using on the third floor was leaking water. The ceiling underneath had a bubble of water ten feet across. My mind leaped angrily to what it will cost to fix it.

John found it. There art thou happy.

A friend asked me where we went for vacation this summer. I stalled.

"Well, we went to the Poconos for one weekend and to a church camp for another. I guess that's it."

I began to recount all the exotic places everyone I know and their cousin went this year.

John has a job that he loves. There art thou happy.

The kitchen is a mess of dishes and food. Why does no one else do their share of cleaning up?

We have an abundance of delicious things to eat. There art thou happy.

Happiness courts me in her best array.

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