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A Father’s Advice for a Lasting Marriage
As part of the Korean wedding tea ceremony, there is a tradition for the father of the groom to impart some words of wisdom to the couple. The following is what I shared:
“As you embark on this union of marriage, I want to share with you some wisdom I have gained from my own marriage. The wisdom is that love alone cannot sustain a marriage. It takes more than love to make a marriage succeed.
This is because love is unpredictable. It fluctuates and it will evolve over time. The love you share today will take on new dimensions tomorrow, but it will remain the foundation upon which you build and live your lives together.
Through the ups and downs of love, a successful marriage will require that you see your commitment to each other as a duty to keep the promises you have made to each other today.
If you can remember your duty to support one another through your trials and triumphs, through times of scarcity and abundance, through sickness and health, then you will successfully overcome the unpredictable nature of love.
As the married couples here in this room will also tell you, marriage is a journey filled with many challenges. But if you hold steadfast to the promises you have made and embrace your duty to each other, I am confident that your marriage will stand the test of time.”
