It is normal these days for a couple to get carried away with problems, career, business and so on. They tend to forget the transient nature of life, they forget the harsh reality of the concept of here today gone tomorrow. A lot of people are living in anguish because of the things they didn’t say to someone they love or some of the terrible things they said to someone who was gone before they had a chance to make amends.

We are so busy chasing money and other material things that we often forget and take for granted those for whom we struggle. It is a generally accepted norm that a man struggles to feed his family, this notion becomes confusing when you see the terrible way some men and even women treat their spouse and the children for whom they claim to struggle. It is like climbing a steep valley to fetch water, struggle all the way up the hill only to pour the water away on purpose.

Remember that whatever we take for granted will eventually be taken away from us. You will detest yourself for the rest of your life if you haven’t been treating your spouse well and the person is suddenly taken away from you. Everyday is a gift to us, let us make the best out of it. We are advised to live everyday as if it were our last, this also means ensuring that there are no hard feelings between you and your spouse before you go to bed everyday.

I have heard stories of gross abusive of spouses, I have been exposed to blood chilling accounts of modern day slavery in the name of marriage. I have seen men and women brutalised by their spouses, I have seen emotional murder being committed on a daily basis, because these types of serious abuse do not include physical abuse, they are swept under the rug and the victims are left to carry their cross alone. This is someone’s sister or brother, son or daughter, endeavour to change and treat your spouse better. If you spouse is suddenly taken from you, regret is a nasty feeling, guilt is a silent killer, especially when you may have to live the rest of your life with the guilt and regret of not treating your spouse well.

Considering the fragility and temporary nature of life, it is advisable that we live in peace and harmony. I know I may sound like a broken record when I stress the need for forgiveness. No matter what your spouse has done, forgive, not just for them, but for you as well. I have seen men broken to pieces because their wives died while enduring emotional and sometimes physical abuse, the guilt and regret eats away at their soul one bite at a time, I have also seen women who will never forgive themselves because they did not appreciate their husbands enough while he was alive.

Let us appreciate our spouses, tell them know how much they mean to you, ask for their forgiveness if you have wronged them, and forgive if you have been wronged. Tomorrow may be too late – Sir Stanley Ekezie