Sisters, silence can steal a soul

“He left me! This wasn't supposed to happen because we had such a perfect life and he always says how much he loves us.”

This was the last phone call I got from a close sister and friend who had been married for 9 years to her college sweetheart. They had 3 children and lived what we called the middle-class life filled with basic necessities. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to keep the marriage together. Truth is, she didn’t just need a family to go home to, she needed sisters whom she could share her woes with. They were always there but she was never with them. In the midst of the picnics and monthly sisters’ hangouts, it was all about how Larry bought her the latest shoes and the chicest gowns. He could do no wrong or so they thought. Larry was the husband to have and the father every child prayed to Santa Claus for. The sisters were always a shoulder near but Zara believed in the rule that marriage is best kept within the confines of husband and wife. No third parties, no outside influence, just us (FAMILY) figuring things out.

The question is does this norm always work? In following “the happy family” façade, the sisters lost Zara to the afterlife. Family is the most sacred union but it needs much more than just a man and a woman saying, ‘I DO’ and having kids. It needs people open to talking about their problems especially when it’s no longer feels ordinary. It needs another voice to speak out when things don’t look okay. This is what the sisters wished they had done. This is what we all ought to do as sisters, friends and family. Don’t keep silent, say it even if it hurts.

This story is submitted in response to being an Encourager.