Roses Do Smile

      ''You may kiss your bride'', says the priest to the bridegroom when the joining ceremony is concluded. And then the groom holds his bride closer, unveil her face, look into her eyes and kiss her warmly. This is the part of the wedding, in my opinion, I consider the most significant aspect of the whole ceremony, and it is common to see all cameras focused on the couple that very moment. That Kiss is presumed to be the first ever kiss by the couple. Why should this moment of 'The Kiss' be significant? It is significant because in my opinion, it symbolizes Seven things:- 1] A promise of Love-- As the groom kisses his bride, he commits his love to her. This is very important. At every point in time in the future, the groom must remember that his love is no more available to another woman other than the one he has kissed in the presence of GOD and man. 2.]Acceptance--- As the groom kisses his bride, he accepts her uncondi...

The collapse of a relationship shouldn't lead to 'war'. I have noticed a very ugly trend, cases where people turns out to become the worst enemies of their ex, a situation where people deploy everything at their disposal to fight whatever is left of their ex. They do this ugly thing simply because their relationship with their ex went bad and broke up. Let me say this; A broken relationship is bad enough, and I understand the pain it comes with. You going all out to see to the downfall of your ex is not going to do you any good. The time and energy you waste trying to avenge yourself can be put into re-building your life and moving on. Don't create a thick cloud of blackness over your life as a result of your refusal to let go. Your life is greater than the hurt you face, and the future ahead of you is brighter than today.

It will be an exercise in futility if you ever think that you can marry someone and then change the person's behavioural patterns, taste, interest and personality. People don't change that easily. The pre-wedding presumption that one can 'overhaul' one's partner's personality in marriage is a delusion that has brought so much frustration and hopelessness to many couples. In a bid to get two people wedded by all means, even when they hardly get along during courtship, it is common to hear family and friends say, ''Let them marry. Things will sort themselves out later and they will just be fine.'' The bitter truth is that if the guy and the lady find it difficult to relate well during courtship, it is very doubtful that they will find harmony in marriage. This is one of the factors responsible for the rising divorce rate. Let it be said that Love is NOT blind. Never! Love sees but chooses to overlook. When you think that your part...

Don't give room to anger in your relationship. Anger does more damage to a relationship than any other known factor. Don't give in to it. Many people out of anger have ended their relationship with the one they love only for them to regret it later. A little self-control could have saved their relationship. Because we are fundamentally different in several ways, we should learn to be tolerant in relationship.  When your partner fails to turn up for a date and kept you waiting endlessly at the restaurant or home, don't lose your head. That shouldn't be the end of the road. Don't end the relationship because of that. Get to hear from your partner what happened. When you see your partner chatting and laughing with an opposite sex, don't lose your head. It may not be what you think. Be calm. When your partner is not picking or returning your calls or fails to reply your sms/email, don't lose your head. That is not enough reason to end the relationship. Get t...

Learn to be a good listener. It will help you in your relationship. Listening means paying attention to what your partner is saying and also paying attention to the body language. Sometimes, your partner may lack words to express a particular thought, and in such moments, you should be able to understand the unexpressed thought. Good listening makes you sensitive to details. Good listening reduces the incidence of assumption. The problem in your relationship might be that you are not listening enough. Make up your mind to work at it.

When looking for someone to marry, don't place emphasis on looking for a man or woman that is GOD-fearing. You cannot know and you cannot ascertain if someone fears GOD or not. I know this is contrary to what we have been taught at our various worship places. Only GOD knows those who fear HIM. It is a deeply spiritual matter which our finite brain cannot comprehend. Religion and the fear of GOD are two different things. There are people who appeared to be GOD-fearing yesterday, but today you wonder if they have ever known GOD. The fear of GOD must be consistent into the future, and that is what makes it difficult, if not impossible, to know if a person fears GOD or not. The human heart is unpredictable, pretentious and hypocritical. The process of reforming it is beyond all of us. It is GOD's own business. There is nothing wrong about marriage. It is the entry point that is of concern here. You should play down religion in your search of a life partner. The onl...