M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E
Love and Marriage
By Vickey Pahnke-Taylor
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Indian Love Poem
Nice night, in June.
Stars shine, big moon
In park, on bench
With girl, in clench.
Me say, “Me love”
She coo, like dove.
Me smart. Me fast.
Never let chance pass.
“Get hitched” me say.
She say, “Okay.”
Wedding bells ring, ring.
Honeymoon. Everything.
Settle down, Married life.
Everything. Happy life.
‘Nother night, in June.
Stars shine, big moon.
No happy, No more.
Carry baby. Walk floor.
Wife mad. She fuss.
Me mad. Me cuss.
Life one big spat.
Naggy wife, bawling brat.
Realize at last
Me too
Darn fast.
I was introduced to this interesting little gem of a poem by Brother Randy Bird. He is a good man, a good husband, and a good father. He is also a wonderful teacher and one who spent years serving as a curriculum developer for the Church Education System.
Brother Bird used the poem to teach what young people should not do if they want a good and lasting relationship. I have not been able to find out who wrote it, but it packs a few potent lessons about meeting, planning, courting, and making decisions that affect us in important ways. It speaks to responsibility, commitment, and love.
In April General Conference of 1960, Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson said this:
There probably is too much talk about rights and not enough talk about responsibility.
The media portrayal of love and marriage often has little or nothing to do with reality. The world's offering is to jump right into a liaison, tossing caution to the wind and often basing the relationship upon lust or very short-term considerations. There is every thought of “What I want” with very little thought of “How I should be responsible.”
Moving “too darn fast” is something we are better off without, unless we are running in a race or running away from trouble!
Personal Goals
In order to secure a lasting, sacred relationship, there are personal goals that must be set, and patterns that need to be established. Working at being our best does not insure that our relationship will be one of the eternal, celestial bond that we desire. But we may more clearly gain inspiration as to whom we should date, and how we should proceed in order to have the Lord's blessing.
We can have greater peace in our lives — as a teenager, beginning the dating scene; a teenager recognizing the issues involved in a too-serious relationship' as a young adult full of apprehension, or one with a near-miss of a marriage. Even as one recovering from a disastrous relationship, there are considerations that may help us get through it.
As a young person trying to figure out how to maneuver through the maze of emotions and diligently seeking for a lasting, loving relationship that is smiled upon by our Father in Heaven, it would be wise to set personal goals. There are minefields to avoid and great joy to be gained for those willing to make the sacrifices and choose more wisely than our friend in the poem.
Here are a few suggestions:
President Harold B. Lee counseled:
Young people do not know the true sacredness of marriage until they have been taught by the temple ordinance.
A good marriage allows each partner to grow and develop. It brings each one closer to the other and to the Lord. It allows ups and downs, and accepts weaknesses. It is based upon an understanding that love allows progression, expects sacrifice, and celebrates service as well as eternally-based goals.
President James E. Faust has taught:
Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, and the divine (October General Conference, 1977).
Nice nights in June with stars shining and a big moon are romantic and charming. But they do not make a lasting, lovely relationship. Realistic expectations and careful considerations are necessary. Take your time. Learn more about yourself and about those with whom you spend your time. No need to move so fast. Pay attention to the little things that may become big things later on. Take your concerns, your thoughts, and your questions to our Father and listen carefully and patiently for the answers.
Young people, create your own love poem — with as happy an ending as you can work to provide!
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