Sarojini Padmanathan is a marriage solemniser and a member at the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Alliance for Action to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships. The alliance is led by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, and was launched last year to partner the community, religious groups and Singaporeans to find ways to strengthen marriages and family ties.
As a marriage solemniser, I have a duty of reading the statements that asks the couple if they will love, comfort, honour and keep each other in sickness and in health, forsaking all others to be faithful to each other for as long as they live.
This is a really tall order for any young couple preparing to tie the knot, and talking about knots, it is not easy to untie the knots in marriage when a couple faces changes and challenges in the many facets of their married life. It is easy to say that the couple should communicate, but often, it is easier to fight and pick on each other. This can result in a heavy burden in their hearts.
Here are my ABC’s of resolving issues with your spouse in a healthy manner.