To my beloved,

The wisps of memory have brought to life your name, your voice, and your face once again.  I sit here and have brought out my pen for I cannot withstand the inner desire to string you and my love for you into reality through amateur words.  It fills my hunger, quiets my loneliness, and quenches my thirst for your kisses, embraces, and whispers of promise and dreams.  My darling, as every single sun rises and sets, always know that there is a home for you, waiting till the knocks on the door signal your arrival.  I shall always and will forever be present to nurse you back after long journeys, feed you with the food deprived, and sing you songs that heal the wounds of your heart and soul.  My love shall embrace you despite your years of absence, for what is the purpose of declaring true love with voice and written word if the lifespan of that very love dwindles in physical time?  What purpose is my existence then if the object of my love, happiness, and joy expires, when mountains have moved, trees have aged, and stars have lost their shine?

Therefore, sweet beloved of mine, to prolong the declaration of this precious treasure that we both share in word and action, I finish this letter with the very same promise that was made under the eyes of the universe:  I shall love you, care for you, and dedicate my very existence to nurturing the the experiences and memories born out of our love.  Your wife awaits your arrival diligently with only your smile, your kiss, and your memory in the deepest depths of her heart needed to sustain her faith and happiness.

Till our hearts join once more,

Forever yours,

ME.

Choosing this throw pillow, I have no other explanation as to why this is a symbol or representation of marriage to me but this simple comparison:

 Though this may not apply to the boys here in class, think of this pillow as something, whatever it may be, you have in your room and which you grew up with.  You have a pillow in your bed, a pillow that deep in your heart, no matter how embarrassing it may be to the eyes of your friends, is special to you.  Every time you come home from a long day at school or work, all you’d want to do is just plop onto your bed and pull that pillow close to you.  You cuddle it, savoring the softness of its texture, and instantly fall asleep on it. 

 Now, think about the time you cried because of a painful break-up with an ex or a fight between you and your best friend.  What do you normally do whenever you lock yourself in your room and want to cry all night because of the anger and pain caused by the situation?  Since there’s no more boyfriend to cry to, no best friend to share your pains with, you turn to your pillow.  Your tears trickle and fall onto it, soaking it, you scream and punch it as you envision your ex or best friend’s face in it, but it calms you and makes you feel better because you were able to scream, yell, punch, and cry to it.  It doesn’t yell back at you, it doesn’t criticize you, but listens to you and allows you to hold it while you pour your heart out.

 This throw pillow doesn’t symbolize the actual idea of marriage per se.  I brought this throw pillow as a symbol of what you have once you are married.  Considering all factors, you got married to a person who has been with you for a long time.  This person accepts you for who you are, both bad and good sides, is with you in your triumphs and failures, listens to you when you have problems or are angry at someone, and of course helps you up when you’ve fallen.

 You might be wondering, “What’s the difference?  Even if we’re not married, I can still have someone who cares for me, believes in me, and does all that other stuff anyway.”  The difference, ladies and gentlemen, is the fact that you two have committed yourself to one another and that he or she is gonna be there no matter what; no matter how long and no matter where you go.  If you’re just live-in partners, there’s no assurance that the person you’re with isn’t just going to walk out the door when he or she’s had enough of your yelling and screaming.  There’s no guarantee that the person is going to stick around when you’re experiencing a crisis in your life.  A husband or a wife is more than just someone who shares in your finances, who you have great sex with, or who you are madly in love with.  He or she is a person who respects you, who believes in you, who accepts you, and who is willing to go through everything just to grow old with you.  

 Just like a pillow sitting there in your bed, no matter how far you go, no matter how late you come home, no matter how hard you scream and punch and yell at them, and no matter how tired you are after a long day at work that you just want to lie down and sleep, that pillow is still going to be there to cushion your hardships, pains, and sorrows.  That person, that someone you’ve declared your dying love to, will be there when you feel the need to squeeze someone, when you want to shout for joy because of a promotion, or even when you want to just hold him or her in your arms and dream about the future with that person.