I Want My Ex Back

Everytime somebody in our clan gets married, my grandfather is always asked to give a speech on secrets to a good marriage. Believe it or not he gives the same speech every time he is asked to speak on the subject.

According to him, the secret to a good marriage is S.A.L.T. He usually begins with this story:

There was an old king who one day asked his three daughters one by one if they loved him. The first daughter replied that he loved his father as much as she loves all the gold in the kingdom. The king was so happy to hear how much he was loved by his first daughter. The second daughter said that he loved her father as much she loves all the silver in the kingdom. The king was so delighted with this. Finally he asked his youngest daughter how much she loves him. The youngest daughter replied, “Father, I love you as much as I love salt.” The king was so angry why her youngest daughter compared her love to that only of salt so she banished her to serve in the kitchen.

The king’s youngest daughter instructed the cook not to put salt in all the king’s dishes. Because of this the king slowly loss his appetite for the food that was served that he became very sick. He then asked the cook to explain why the food is not as tasty as before. The cook then told him that his youngest daughter instructed her not to put salt in all the king’s dishes. When the king heard this, he was furious. He asked his youngest daughter to explain her actions. She explained to her father that she was only demonstrating how much she loved him. The old king finally finally realized how important salt is. He finally understood that his youngest daughter loved him so much more than her two sisters.

With that introduction, my grandfather then goes to the main topic and that is the key to a successful, loving and a good marriage which is “SALT.” He then goes to the body of his message by giving meanings to each letter of the word SALT.

S - Share - When a man and a woman enter into married life, they have to remember that they are considered as one flesh. Each of them must not have a selfish attitude. Each one must share with each other whatever blessings may come to their life. If the husband or wife is invited to a fancy restaurant and taste a good meal, he should plan to bring his or her spouse there someday to share the wonderful experience. Sharing does not only speak about the blessings or the good experiences in life. There should be also a sharing of the burdens and responsibilities in the marriage.

A - Attention - Oftentimes we hear of spouses complaining that their respective spouses are not giving enough attention to them. The wife complains that the husband just comes home and sits in front of the T.V. Some husbands complains that the wife keeps on chatting with her friends on the phone. It does not mean that the couple should not spend some time with their friends or their interest. However take note that they must give the bulk of their attention to each other.

L - Live within your means - Statistically, it has been proven that money problems is the number one reason why couples argue. Strict guidelines must be drawn on how money should be handled. Husbands and wives learn how to work within a budget. Money for emergency savings and investments should also be considered and set aside.

T - Trust - This is the foundation for all a good marriage. This is so because if you do not trust your spouse, you shatter his or her confidence. If couples learn to trust each other then they will be more assured that they are loved and they will be more confident enabling each of them to achieve more in life.

While the principles of S.A.L.T may look simplistic however it is proven to work as my grandparents has applied it in their marriage and they had a good strong marriage which stood the test of time. It is my hope and prayer that you apply the principle of salt in your respective marriage as well.