I rarely notice of TV adverts. Last night this powerful short film, ‘The Ultimate Vow’, promoting the Alzheimer’s Society, set me musing…
It follows Adam & Laura… Adam first experiences the early stages of dementia… the illness progresses… his condition deteriorates… we hear Laura narrating her marriage vows.
Recalling our marriage…
I, Malcolm, take you, Rachel, to be my wife… I, Rachel, take you, Malcolm, to be my husband…
I believe in marriage… love and commitment, faithfulness and dependability, promises made and kept.
Some don’t get married… some friends would dearly like to be married but aren’t, some live together without being married… but I believe in marriage.
to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse…
I believe in developing, maturing marriage… growing together, changing together, enjoying family life – whatever that looks like or however it turns out.
For some marriage hasn’t worked out… some friends have been through messy divorces or sad bereavements, some would love to have children but can’t… I still believe in life-long marriage.
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
I believe in marriage that faces the complexities of life together… mutual support through frustrations, problems, sickness, sadness…
For some ‘marriage’ is confused by gay marriage, arranged marriage, delayed marriage, impossible marriage… I still believe in ‘traditional’ marriage.
to love and to cherish, till death us do part,
I believe in marriage that lasts into old age… For me Laura and Adam’s situation is close to home… for some friends the issue is dementia, for others it’s cancer, a heart condition, a life-limiting disability…
When we started out on the marriage journey we didn’t know or think how it would end…
according to God’s holy law, and this is my solemn vow.
I believe that God is involved in marriage – that love and commitment are given and enabled by a loving committed God, who walks with us through the whole marriage journey, living out ‘The Ultimate Vow’.
malcolmsmusings.org 
Many thanks for your blog today Malcolm. How true what you have sheared today.
Sue’s aunty and uncle are 100 and 96. Bob was taken into hospital at the week end not expected to come home. Laura has dementia. Bob has looked after her with help from many quarters.
Married over 70 years. What a witness of God’s grace and testimony they have.
Bob was by the way a Bevin boy in the 1940s.
We will have to make a date soon to come up to your part of the world.
God bless
Mark
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Thanks Mark. Folks like Bob and Laura continue to show us what ‘for better, for worse’ really mean. Hopefully they set us an example that we can leave for our children and their children…
Look forward to seeing you soon
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“I believe that God is involved in marriage – that love and commitment are given and enabled by a loving committed God, who walks with us through the whole marriage journey, living out ‘The Ultimate Vow’.” . . . Beautiful! Thank you Malcolm.
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Thanks, Fred. I agree. God certainly shows us his love and commitment to us ‘for better, for worse’. We’ve continue to appreciate his presence with us
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Loved your musing and photos today, Malcolm. You are so right in what you say! Marriage is definitely an adventurous journey to make, but I wouldn’t have swapped it😊
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Thanks Lynn. I think your observation is right – when you start on the first chapter of the adventure you don’t know what’s coming in the following chapters… and as I suggest you certainly don’t know what the final chapters will contain!
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Thanks for sharing this idea. I lost my sister and brother . They are happy together in heaven.
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I’m sorry for your loss. Grieving continues… through our thoughts and memories… and life remains unpredictable….
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46 years for my wife and I. Vows and honoring them. What an amazing concept. A bit like deciding if our car (the vehicle we will go through life) will be made of metal or plastic. It sure depends on what character we are made of. Love your approach to this post in a world bent on building sandcastles by the shore when the tide is out.
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Thanks Gary. We celebrated 50 years last year. It’s good to remember and celebrate all of the good strong marriages rather than seeing all the problems and those that don’t work.
I like your sandcastles picture… It’s what happens when the tide comes in that counts!
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