“Marriage is an organism that needs to grow. What you were doing during courtship, like when you were always bringing gifts, you should not end it when you get married. You need to always continue the love like when you first met the person. Love is companionship, because in order for you and your partner to be one, you should do everything in common,” says Rev. Henry Saway, of Faith Healing Temple Church of Jesus Christ.
Report by Mae Azango [email protected]
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Saway have been married for 33 unbroken years. Their period of courtship was 13 years; practically they have been together for 46 years. They started their love affairs many years ago in high school.
Mrs. Betty Jackson-Saway narrated that it all started during their high school days in 1972 during the national exams that year. Back in those days, students used to gather together and study. It was during one of their studies in Logan Town on the Bushrod Island, when the love flame sparked and that brought them together.
“When I was at Cuttington, he would always send me gifts and food stuffs. We dated for 13 years before we got married in 1985. I left to go for my Masters and came back before we got married,” she recorded.
The couples, who were in each other’s arms like new lovers during the interview, shared their secret to their longevity in their happy marriage life. They also gave tips that young couple wanting to be happy, too, can apply in their marriage lives.
This is the secret Rev. Saway gave as he told FrontPageAfrica that he and his wife have four beautiful girls: “Marriage is an organism that needs to grow. What you were doing during courtship, like when you were always bringing gifts, you should not end it when you get married. You need to always continue the love like when you first met the person. Love is companionship, because in order for you and your partner to be one, you should do everything in common.”
“Do not listen to ‘they say’, but see it for yourself. Do not allow people to tell you lies. This is why today many marriages are broken because people listen to too much ‘they says’. “As Africans, we have extended families and we take those families to live with us. We have rules in the home. You should never insult me or my wife; the day you do that, we will put you out.”
Rev. Saway, 72, also stated that in addition to their biological daughters, they have other wards.
He also advised that in a relationship, one should never insult or beat their spouse; adding: “In the last 33 years of our marriage, I have never insulted or beaten my wife.”
“God used the rib of man to make a woman. He did not use the hand bone to make woman, because the hand is fast to slap. He did not use the foot bone because the foot is quick to kick; He did not use the head bone to make woman, because sometimes when you are vexed, you will butt the woman. Instead, he used the ribs which are closer to the heart. God used the ribs to make woman to be by your side,” said Rev. Saway.
“You should not beat on your wife because she is not a drum to beat on. You should not brutalize your woman but you should love her. Whenever she does something that you do not like, call her on the side and tell her but do not abuse her. In fact, the reason we stayed together this long is because my wife knows what I do not like and I know what she does not like. You take the vows but at times, things may not always work in your favor, sometimes your husband may get out of job, you do not make a big issue out of it. Do not always push things into your husband’s face. For example, if you both live in your family’s property and every time you disagree, you tell your husband, if my mother had not given me this place for us to live where would we have been today, what kind of for nothing man is this,” he advised.
For Mrs. Saway, her advice is that marry is not a rush business and so the person desirous of getting marry must be fully prepared.
“For example, if your man is beating you before marriage that would be a recipe for divorce in the marriage. Always observe your husband’s temperament.”
According to her because her husband gets angry fast, she waits for him to calm before she confronts him with his wrongs. “He sees reason and apologizes,” she added.
She further advised younger women in a relationship not to equally raise their voice when there is a misunderstanding as doing so would escalate the problem. “When two of you are angry at the same time, you do not solve anything. Woman, too, can make decision in the home but it has to be discussed between you two.”
