Preparing for marriage

I recently attended a marriage preparation course for Catholic couples religiously for six weeks in order to obtain a certificate that allows me to get married in church. I must admit I'm quite glad it's over, as it has been quite an intensive experience, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it or benefit from it.

The notion of preparing for marriage must strike some people as being rather strange, as opposed to the idea of preparing for one's wedding, which would hardly raise an eyebrow. I think many people still hold the belief that when two people in love decide to get married, they must be adequately prepared in some way or other already. But I think the life-changing experience that is to come is hardly something that most dating couples can comprehend, hence the need for marriage preparation.

Although many things that were said during the course were not exactly new to me, such as the need for communication or the need to make time for each other, the opportunity to learn vicariously through the experiences of other married couples or fellow dating couples was something that I found valuable.

The course also served to remind me that couples should not take each other for granted. It is so easy to become careless in considering the feelings of one's other half, to neglect to accord to one's partner the respect he or she deserves over time that one more reminder is never one too many.

The road to marital bliss will never be a smooth one. But if couples treat each other with respect and take the time to communicate with each other, then this road will definitely make for the most enjoyable ride of a lifetime.

Europe here I come!

My life has been a whirlwind of activity lately - not least because I've been spending hours on the laptop, labouring over the itinerary for my forthcoming trip to Britain, Paris and Switzerland, sometimes even staying up just so that I can work on finding the best value-for-money accomodation or check out various sights and attractions.

The experience has not been wholly enjoyable. Many times, I've wondered - like C does - why I'm racking my brains and sacrificing my sleep when I could just take my pick from the range of packages offered by travel agencies. True, they may not be customised to my preferences, but surely that's a small compromise to make in exchange for the convenience?

But I've soldiered on, telling myself that the rewards will come on the trip. Every trip is transformed into an adventure with the knowledge that one is completely on one's own, free to decide when and where to go or stay and for how long, as well as the opportunity to veer off the beaten track.

The experience of going on a self-planned vacation can be truly liberating and exciting - it makes one feel that one is really taking a break from the confines of routine and the grind of daily life. That is the whole point of going on a holiday, isn't it?