July 4, 2007
History was made in
Jasper, recently. Ironically it
was the around the same time
that many in Jasper, Texas
recall with disdain, but it was a
time for celebration in Jasper,
Florida.
When I heard about the
70th wedding anniversary for
Samuel and Louise Parker, I
was impressed. At a time
when divorce is the solution
for any marital problems, I had
nothing but admiration for the
couple as they celebrated with
friends and family.
According to a U.S. Census
Report, there are over one
million divorces a year.
California, Colorado, Indiana
and Louisiana don’t report the
number of divorces so you can
imagine how drastic the
numbers could actually be;
while Massachusetts has the
lowest divorce rate.
Young girls and guys need
to sit down with the Parkers
and hear about those 70 years.
Everyone from President Bush
to Senator Barack Obama and
Congresswoman Corrine
Brown sent congratulatory
letters, and with good reason.
The Parkers’ love for one
another has lasted over 70
years and they will probably
tell you that it was not easy--
that they had their ups and
downs. But guess what? They
persevered, which is not what
you see happening today.
Their faith in God played a
major role. It was at church
that the two met, at Mt. Olive
Baptist Church. The two
attended school at JRE Lee
School and they had an interesting
courtship before
marrying on June 27, 2007.
To their union, seven children
were born. There was one
baby daddy and one baby
mama in that union.
Now there
was a time
when young
girls had one
or maybe two
boyfriends in
high school.
Not today.
Instead you
have young
girls who
don’t even
have a steady
boyfriend,
instead they
hop around
having sex
with several partners.
According to Mr. Parker’s
account in their celebratory
program, early on he knew he
wanted to marry young
Louise. Even as teenagers,
they developed a bond that has
withstood the test of time.
Today, young men are
looking for a wife and they are
having sex with young girls
they wouldn’t think of
marrying. This ought to be
food for thought for young
ladies. If this young man
wouldn’t
marry you
and if you
have no desire
to marry
him, why
would you
share “you”
(the most
precious
thing you
have) with
someone
who, after
you get pregnant,
he’s a
“dog?”
Whatever they think of the
young man today was
probably the same thing he
was when they were thinking
he was so “fine” or “hot.”
Sadly, they didn’t take time
to get to know the males who
they were willing to do
anything with, not realizing
that the more they did, the less
their chances of keeping the
guys. The thought of
courting, getting to know a
person never enters the
process.
And getting to know a
person does not mean necessarily
that the relationship is
going to last. Everyone can’t
do what the Parkers have
done.
The way things are going
today, folks will kill their
spouses before they commit to
another year. They are really
taking the “til death do us
part” declaration to another
level!
Domestic violence continues
to be an issue, so much
that while reports of women
abused capture more
headlines; there are several
sources, including The
Christian Party, that are now
focusing on the many abuses
perpetrated against men.
It’s time to ask, “where is
the love?”
The Parkers, who were and
still are active in their church,
talk about how they took their
children to church, tried to be a
positive influence and encouraged
them to get a good
education.
As the wedding industry
continues to thrive, with brides
and grooms spending more
time and resources on the
wedding than the relationship,
and it’s easier to walk away
than work it out, it feels good
to celebrate such an accomplishment.
More people should try
keeping up with the Parkers
instead of trying to keep up
with the Joneses!
It would be an experience
to sit with the Parkers and hear
about how they endured one
another for seven decades. If
anyone could and should write
a book about marriage, my
money would be on the
Parkers.
And it should be a bestseller.
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