Recently, men and women of Knights of St John International, Lagos, took time out of their busy lifestyle to recapture their youthful days in an uncommon ceremony. It was inaugural celebration of the Couples’ forum organized by the District 15 Ladies Auxilliary, Lagos
The event kicked off with a Mass service at the Holy Family Catholic Church, FESTAC, Lagos, with the theme spirituality in marriage and family life. The climax of the service was the renewal of marriage vows by the couples.
Delivering the homily Rev Fr Noel Eshikena enjoined the couples to be steadfast in their vows just as they had promised themselves on their wedding day.
The reception train which had all the paraphernalia of romance and love moved to the Holy Family event centre at FESTAC, Lagos. With the choice of red as the color scheme of the day, the men were clad in black suits with red bow ties, while their wives were gorgeously dressed in red evening gowns.
The reception stated off with a red carpet. The historic event was well attended by the crème de la crème of the Catholic community. It had activities which included couples game, quiz on marital ties, jokes and games.
Brig, Gen. Patrick Igwilo , Grand President of the Lagos Grand Commandery, Chairman of the occasion was unavoidably absent but sent a representative in the person of Peter Osamgbi
In her welcome address, the President, District 15 Ladies Auxilliary, Lady Tussy Afam Obi said that the inaugural couples’ day celebration stated that since there is no perfect man or woman, and there is no perfect marriage but only that which each couple makes of it and reminded them that the neighbour’s lawn always appears greener.
Continuing, Lady Afam Obi told Daily Sun that the essence of renewal of their marriage vows, was to ventilate their diverse ideas about marriage, explore factors challenging the institution of marriage as well as to seek ways to overcome them
In her words, ”being married for a long time is a source of pride in today’s world of high divorce rates and it calls for a bigger celebration than the first few years.”
She stressed that unhappiness, strain and other vices creep into marriages only when spouses stop working on their relationships and encouraged them to continue to learn news ways to understand themselves for an enduring union.
Rev Fr. Emmanuel Abulu who gave a talk on the conflicts in marriage and the churches’ position congratulated the women on the joyful celebration and commended them for the initiative. He gave an insight into the church’s position by a dramatic demonstration with a couple, Sir and lady Terrence Onyejiaku
He spoke extensively on how couples can enjoy their relationship and avoid conflict by dealing little issues early enough, such that it would not take bigger pictures. He stressed that marriage is naturally a battle of which couples must be determined to fight and win the war.
The priest enjoined husbands to defend their wives at all times while the women must always see their husbands as the heads of their homes because they have been ordained so from creation
Dr Nkem Okoro, founder and chairperson of “Wife” who delivered a paper on the effects of menopause and andropause on marital relationship pointed out that one of the greatest challenges of marriage often come in the middle and late stages of life due to menopause in women and andropouse
Highlighting the physical and psychological problems occasioned by menopause, their spouses should be ready to help them to navigate through these difficult stage of life while remembering that they were once their apples of their eyes. Its only by support and understanding that this phase of middle life crisis can be overcome. With Proverbs 5;18-19, Dr Okoro supported her pleas thus, “may you rejoice in the wife of your youth,,,, may her breasts satisfy you always and be ravished with her love”
In the same vein, Dr Okoro stated that in adropause in men, they easily sense the changes and become concerned especially about their sexuality and functioning capacity unlike the women. She therefore, admonished them not to lose confidence and fall victim to middle age crisis so as to seek sexual excitement from younger women, rather, they should both explore various sexual ways to deal with the natural phenomenon and rekindle their love.
Dr Okoro urged the celebrants to continue to live a life of emulation by living within the armbis of God’s laws in marriage. She advised them to take of their families, reiterating that they have a major role to play in ensuring a better society through their actions as virtuous wives and role models to younger generation of couples.
Apart from the cutting of the cake, the highpoint of the romantic evening was when couples were serenaded to the some good old school tunes. They reenacted their youthful days in some some special/sexy buy hug light music
Many of the couples have been married up to 25 years while other older couples have clocked up to 40 years and above.
Some of them who spoke to Daily Sun, said that the day has afforded them the opportunity to rededicate themselves and helped to bring back the spark in their love lives.
It was an evening of fun. The grand event offered couples the opportunity to relive their lives and rededicate themselves to their love lives. The celebrants wished that that the couples’ forum would be an annual event. There was enough to sumptuous meal and choice drinks.