Lesson's Learned ( At A Cost)

I recently heard a story. This story impacted me greatly, but I didn't know why it should. I finally decided that it wasn't the tragedy of the story alone, but how common this story is.

Dick was married to Lee. They made a home with 4 little children. Nothing in this world is perfect and their marriage was no exception. What Dick wasn't getting from Lee, he found in Deloris. Dick left Lee and his four children and married Deloris. As the years went on Dick realized that being married to the once young, exciting Deloris was neither sunshine nor butterflies.

Those are the facts, here is the tragedy: Lee spent the rest of her life sunk in bitterness, while Dick often felt guilty for leaving his children fatherless. On Lee's deathbed she told her children she didn't want Dick at her funeral. She carried her hate and sadness to her grave. Upon hearing of Lee's death Dick went into a depression and died 6 months later.

The first thing I felt/thought when I heard this was "they were supposed to be together". I believe that Dick and Lee were supposed to be together. What got in the way? I don't know all the details of their life, I suppose only they do, but in my gut I ache for them. What could they have had if they were willing to work through their problems? What would it have taken for them fix them and if they had how many hearts would have been left un-broken?

I listened to this story while at my grandmothers house, meeting some distant cousins of mine for the first time and absolutely reveling in their thoughts and stories from the past. As I was leaving that night my grandmother warned me "be careful who you choose to marry". I can take that and so much more from this story. I don't mean to depress any readers with this; I only mean to provoke some thought. Some thought about how hasty we can be. How unforgiving we can be. How uncommitted we are. Most of all to provoke some thoughts about what COULD BE if we didn't give up. But now I feel like I'm rambling. So here's to lessons learned. If only it weren't at the expense of someone else's happiness.