True or False: Solid relationships are the relationships that are held together by an external force, mainly God.

Mr. Humphries, are you free?

Interesting conversation, one of my girls that worked for me, you could not found an any more devote religious person, (European Catholic raised) doing kindergarden at the local church, supported her hubby with an bad back, raised her kids by herself, was laying down taking an nap when an guy with an gun came in... to kill her husband for stepping out with his wife..she divorced him. Years had gone by also..she was no youngster exactly. Always faithful, always true. Always there to remind us to do what was right.

My mother stayed with my father through the rough times, one reason she died at 48 years old and he did at 79 with his second wife..whom I'm not so sure he wasn't going with before my mother even passed away...after all, someone had to take care care of him, she was to physically sick to do it any longer. My parents had an stormy marriage, ( I think because they struggled between competition to each other and yet an idealism of marital responsibilty at times)  and my hubby grew up without an father, as he died early in life of Cancer from an job related accident. He knew what poverty was all about being one of the younger kids of an huge family of 10...his mother never worked..she raised kids. I think both my hubby and I had pretty well "had it"  with our home life by the time we met. We dreamed of better things someday . Not that they are though necessarily these days...money has an lot to do with it all.  We started with $70 and car payments to make monthly...I never saw him the first two years because he was in the Army.  We worked our way up, but here lately we fight to maintain it. Working caused us to "make our own lives" at times, as much as it has in being together on our days off...but these are the times for many of us to be like that I think. Perhaps it always was..who knows. You get to an certain age, and it's hard to think of starting over again..it's not like when you were younger and had physcial health and could choose an path of your own chosing. Our scout troop leader was like that, divorced, he remarried an younger woman, she's an ICU nurse at an hospital in the cardiac unit. They have just recenly bought their first really "our" type home. She has already had an mild stroke herself. I followed with an heart problem. Just got an May 2nd birthday invitation for her...they are one of the few that might make it...i fthey hang on. But I think his younger years were in "Scouts" because she works a lot on weekends(I also did that at one time in the nursing facilty I worked at)....there are times when my hubby has spent five days out of the week at some kind of scout function...likewise, I was either working, or went along if it was an day off...but I also had the little gal I raised here at the house sometimes also. So it was with Vickie also. I dont' know if religion plays an part, as she was raised strict Catholic also, and got "burned" in the marriage process. I would say at most "faith" is what you hang on to when there is nothing else you can hang onto in life. Yes, there has to be an "commitment" made also. Because its not easy, this thing called life.  I really haven't found an suitable true definition of what "marriage" is either, and I think we all tend to look to God for an lasting relationship of our soul anyway...beyond our spouse. But I think there are plenty of good people out there that have honestly tried to do the right thing and never made it. An will of God, not sure about that, the family that separates is usually being ran by the whims of another in authority... and not necessarily "God". While I was doing my religious culture studies I came across the Catholic dictionary and it's term of "adultry" and its way before people cross the line of relationship with another, it's defined as "putting oneself above the process of "Union" in thought between two people" Another person doesn't have to be in the scene for adultry to be taking place. It's when "two people joined together" are erased by one person's act of self-ego. Enough said.  I asked my sister in-law how she could take her hubby playing Golf all morning long "retired" and she said, for God's sake, let him go,... so I can have an few hours of "peace" myself. She is coming on her first year without him now...he died year ago during winter. I'd been around them since I was 5 years old...when she was in her early 20's..goes to show you the age difference in my hubby's sisters and brothers. They were friends with my parents. I think the lessons we need to learn or to help with others in learning... is why we are drawn to each other...it's all about soul growth.     

 I decided to ditch an relationship last year by an person that didn't beleive in God, so as to say,..... not because I didn't think they should decide what to think one way or the other,........ but because this person not beleiving in God meant that I wasn't suppose to either..and to "H" with that thinking,.... I'll beleive in what I beleive in.....be it right or wrong, I am that I am. Can not be something that I am not.... to suit the purposes of others.

Thank you so much for your post, as it does say alot of what I had on my mind...there was no will of God in dissolution of my marriage, just weakness of man...and of course the B**** who thought so much of herself and little of others.  I don't think that God would have wished that on anyone!  Donna

 There is no god.. but there may be a hell of sorts...what I don't like is the thought of possibility of having no choice of music or books and lollygagging around in softly limned cloudy, boring as dishwater weather... ... and will Ned join me in Valhalla?

 Charles Darwin is my guy...well, one of them....Read: 'The Beak of the Finch'

Yes, eat dessert first~ there is no heavenly payoff for earthly suffering...though there may be a hell where there is nothing to do but listen to someone reading.. 'Sinners!~ redemption this way'....or select your hell here:

listening to Barry Manilow, Englebert Humperdink.....

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