Prior to meeting my wife I was just an easy going
guy who went about his day with less care and planning.
I planned my weekends around mall prowling, church
and watching sport on TV, more specifically soccer and cricket. Weekdays were planned
around my job with little interaction with those who matter the most, family.
My less caring attitude extended into my finances
and social life at some stage I didn’t even know how much I earned, I was just
happy I could afford to pay for the things I needed.
Then one fateful Saturday while mall prowling I met
a beautiful woman who after a year and a half I married. Six month of dating
provided me with a preview of how life could be with Mantoa in my corner. I was
gradually turning in to a man I wished I was, I started going to the gym to
keep a healthy and fit body, got involved at church even made it into the youth
leadership team, kept my finances intact, re-evaluated my friendships kept the
ones I benefited from and the ones I contributed positively in, I also reconnected
with family.
On the 29/04/2012 we walked down the aisle and
became Mr and Mrs Rathelele, we braced ourselves for a good and long journey of
life together. The task of being head of the family fell on my shoulders; I was
now responsible for the direction of both our lives, the role required of me to
be organized, consultative, have a vision, goals, execution strategies and
monitoring methods in place.
Marrying my wife meant that I had to keep improving
myself, my career for the benefit of both of us, it meant I had to learn to
give tough love, receive it as well. It meant that I represented a collective
at all time and could not afford to misrepresent them for personal
gratification. It meant I opened myself to be corrected, advised and
disciplined for the benefit of a collective.
Marrying my wife meant I was now part of her family
and that I had added into our family, it meant I was now part of a new big
family and that I had to be intentional with relationships to build this new
family we are now part of. I have learned to be of influence even in unfamiliar
territories.
Overall I have learned that we do not merely exist
for ourselves that we exist for a much bigger purpose. I honestly believe that
for the questions we have someone elsewhere has the answers, that life is
relational and intentional.
We are now blessed with a son of our own and now i
am benefiting from having good relations.
