From the Foundations

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Proverbs 11:2

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

-St. Augustine

I think that quote is so powerful, wow! I think I'm going to print it and frame it. A big part of failing forward is assessing the reasons for the failure in the first instance. Letting go of the past does not mean to entirely forget what happened, for if I do not know my mistakes how can I ensure I do not repeat it? It is hard sometimes because to separate the reflection from the emotions that come with it but I guess I try and find a balance so that it's not about over analysing and getting stuck in the past.

I think I've said before that one of the biggest mistakes any couple can make is thinking 'This could never happen to me'. It's not about waiting for a storm to hit, but anticipating that a storm may come and building accordingly. It is very difficult to build in the presence of a storm so we should take precautions before hand. A lack of communication was a big barrier in the 'last days'. Communication is more than having a conversation but being able to say what you mean and what you really mean. The truth even when said in love may hurt but it is our responsibility to speak the truth always.

The last few months of last year going into this one had really been quite busy with respect to our individual academic/career goals and this allowed some cracks begin to show. We had stopped the counselling classes (funny enough we were about to go into the communication bit) as Mr O's schedule couldn't accommodate it. Honestly, this was not a problem for me as we had attended some and we could use the opportunity to start practicing what we had learnt so far? I think we were just existing, doing our own things. At the beginning of this year, I told him that even though we were busy we needed to try and make the time. Its not about meeting up every day but about making most of the time when you do meet up.

I have this saying that 'I don't mind fighting, as long as we fight fair and stick to the rules.' I won't say I have never raised my voice in an argument, or him either but an unwritten agreement is for both parties never to raise their voices at the same time and strange enough this has only happened once. To disagree in of itself is not a bad thing because it shows we are human and we are different but when we do disagree, our actions tell a lot about the person within. I didn't like the man I saw, neither did I like some things in the woman I saw either. I have learnt that patience is indeed a virtue and I must rely on God for an eternal supply to enable me to cope with the reality of what relationships require. Change is a gradual process. I felt that the relationship was more a priority for me than it was for him and suggested we take a break. Maybe that was a mistake but he didn't disagree. I just got tired of coming up with suggestions on how to make it work, going for counselling e.t.c and just decided to leave it be. Time couldn't be made to even ask and seek for help. In one of my last communications to him, I told him that the effort you make in saving something that is dying shows how much its worth is to you. In the end, I felt it wasn't worth very much, definitely not worth making the sacrifices required.

Relationships take commitment, maybe I wasn't as committed as I should have been. True, but I choose not to dwell on the past. Hopefully, I'm a little bit more mature now. I made a decision never to keep quiet because I think my words may hurt but to pray first and then speak, whether the words want to be heard or not because its better to get feelings out in the open than leave things to fester. A lack of communication is that thread that gets unravelled and begins to unravel everything else. Writing this post was hard..I want to write about happy things. I think I'll just continue answering the twenty questions from the next post.

Till later

XoXo