A sick man was brought to a hospital by
his pestering wife. She was very dominating and talkative. The doctor examined
the patient in detail. But the wife was a constant disturbance, annoying him by
her persistent pestering. Finally the doctor told the man, "You badly need
some rest. I shall prescribe a sedative drug (sleeping pill). Give it to your
wife."
Marital partners have equal rights and responsibilities to make
their family a heaven of happiness. But pestering partners often make it a hell
of horror. The attitudes and actions of marital
partners should be complementary and not contradictory. They should render
hearty support to each other even during disappointment, disability, discomfort,
distress, disease or disaster.
Dave Meurer said, "A great marriage
is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple
learns to enjoy their differences." Euripides (484 BC-406 BC) said,
"Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife."
Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, had a
nagging and quarrelsome wife, Xanthippe. One day she shouted furiously at
Socrates and his friends. Finding no reaction, she got into a violent temper. She
picked up a bucket full of washing water and poured it on the head of Socrates.
He remarked with a smile, to his friends, "We know that a thunder will be
followed by a rain!" Later, he advised a young man, "By all means,
marry. If you get a good wife, you will become happy. If you get a bad one, you
will become a philosopher."
A recent cartoon depicted
the most effective seat belt for a husband
driving with his wife in the other seat in the front. It effectively covers the
wife's mouth while supporting him. Its advantage is that it lets him drive without her
interference!
The
teacher of biology in a school distributed plantlets to all the students with
instructions to plant them near their home, look after the growing plants
regularly and observe their condition every day. All the students except one
reported that the plants were growing steadily. One student complained that his
plantlets refused to grow. The teacher questioned him and discovered the
reason. The boy was in the habit of examining the roots of the plants every day
after pulling them out of the soil in order to assess the growth of the plants.
Obviously, his idiotic over-enthusiasm had deprived the plant of an essential
condition for steady growth - lack of disturbance!
Several families maintain peace by surrendering to the dominance of the
stronger partner. Real happiness results only when there is close co-operation
and mutual respect between partners. Otherwise the better half becomes the bitter
half. The ideal family is an image of heaven.
..............................................................................................................
© By Prof.
Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology,
Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former
Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally
and Neil John, Maniparambil,
Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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