Married Couples Share Their Stay-In-Love Secrets
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday August 21, 2017 16:42
“I met my husband when I was 18-years-old. At the time, there were no weddings. Marriage has its own obstacles, but my husband and I always found a way to overcome them.
Marriage is also joyous. We had many good and memorable times together. We have been together since 1972 and God has always seen us through all the obstacles,” she said.
She further advised young couples not to get into marriage for material things, explaining that such marriages do not last. Keipatile said it was important for people to marry because of love. She added that they must marry to be a good example to their children.
“When I fell in love with my dear husband I was not working.
I chose to date him because he was older than me. I knew that with him by my side, I would be able to build a strong and healthy family. At the time, my husband was a driver. I later found a better job and I earned a higher salary than him. I earned two if not three or more times his salary but that did not change anything. I loved and respected him,” she boasted.
She further explained that she believed that if she could have married someone her age she could have divorced and re-married many times because some young people are not rooted to their marriages. Keipatile vowed that she and her husband will be together till death does them apart.
For his part, Titus said marriage was about respect. He said him and his wife respect each other.
“Our culture also states that a man is the head of his family. My advice to young couples is, be respectful and truthful to each other. Marriage is not a child’s play. Stop lying to your spouses. Stop playing around when you get married. I want all men to know that without your wives you are nothing. Respect your marriage. I used to play around before meeting my wife but once I made a decision to make her my wife I stopped all that,” he advised.
For their part, Gabalebe and Edward Motlhabi who have been married for 10 years said their path to marriage was not easy.
Gabalebe said they met in 1984 but due to challenges, they married 10 years later. She said even though there were obstacles in relationships and marriages, there was also peace and good times in marriage.
“I fell in love with my wife when she was 19-years-old and she fell pregnant. At the time, I was not sure if I wanted commitment or not. I left her and our unborn child and went to work in South Africa for two years. My life got complicated and I went to seek advice from a pastor who advised me to come back home and look for my wife and baby. I went home to Tlokweng where I later heard that she was looking for me. At the time she had already given birth to our daughter. I was happy because I had been looking for them,” he said.
He said even though they stayed together for years without him showing her any signs of commitment, his wife was always by his side and he later realised that she was indeed a good woman and decided to build a family with her.
Giving his keynote address, the Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Biggie Butale who was accompanied by his wife said marriage creates relations between strangers. He added that it could also turn enemies into friends.
“Marriage unites the nation. That is why it is very crucial to protect it at all times. Marriage is a small Parliament. When it does not function well, it affects the bigger parliaments.
It is the foundation of the nation. Broken marriages negatively affect the nation,” he said.
Butale added that research had shown that children growing under the love and care of both parents turn out to be responsible and God-fearing whereas those brought up by single parents turn out to be irresponsible and engage in bad behaviour.