People often tell couples that they no longer have to stick together once things end between them. However, the story of Emmy and her husband proves there is beauty in sticking together for the kids. It is not always a bad thing. More than a year ago, Emmy told her husband she did not want to marry.
This left him shocked and blank, yet with teary eyes, he questioned Emmy about the kids. Would they not be upset about it, and what would everything that happened between Mom and Dad mean for the kids? The teary eyes and all the questions made sense, and no matter what happened, what parents owe to their children had to be given. No one wants to be a part of a broken family, as all it brings is pain and grief when children see their friends and people around living with their happily married parents.
Despite understanding the situation and how the kids were to be prioritized as it was no longer about how they felt and what the relationship meant, Emmy’s head was stuck on a phrase that is heard countless times: ‘Do not stay together for the kids. ’ She never pondered about it before as the thought of separation or parting ways was never a part of her life. It was something the cultes had preached that when a relationship no longer offers anything, you should have the courage to walk away from it.
Despite all this, Emmy chose to stay, and guess what? She is grateful for her decision, and all the judgments and what people thought about her decision did not even matter when her children giggled around the house. It brought her the peace that breaking the family would have never brought.
If the couple had not had their kids around, circumstances may have been different. The children acted as glue that kept the couple sticking together, especially when they were so close to falling apart. Emmy might have opted to walk away if the kids had not been present. The choice would still have been tough, but it is impossible with the children’s presence. The couple chose to fight through the problems, and no matter how uncomfortable it got, they acknowledged that marriages are supposed to be imperfect and messy. This is the beauty of marriage: how you keep choosing the same person every day through it all.
Not only this, but all that happened made Emmy realize so much. It was never only about staying together for the kids, but about becoming better parents and strengthening the love that was present but had faded, too. Choosing to fix things and holding on is what real love looks like, and the couple, being parents, wanted to be an example for the children. They did not just choose to be amazing parents but also opted to become better partners. If not this, what else does unconditional love look like?
If you, too, are going through a challenging situation, it’s best not to rush into a decision. Staying together for the kids is not bad, but it can be why your love rebuilds. The family that took you so long to make must last! Emmy, who was previously a once-happily divorced wife, is now a remarried mom who has learned exactly how certain situations require you to stay, and she did!
