Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith discussed their marriage openly in front of cameras the other day on Jada’s Red Table Talk. The episode was viewed by over 15 million people on Facebook in a single day. As expected with everything that goes viral on the internet, a lot of people have been talking about it. Some have questioned their own relationships; some have applauded Jada’s endeavor to find her own personal happiness. Some have criticized her for dating a man way younger that she is and who was supposed to be her son’s friend. A man who sought mentorship and guidance from her. Some have criticized her for casually justifying her actions and not following the bible and rules set by society to never step outside your marriage. Others have felt sorry for Will Smith. The picture of Will looking emotional during the segment has been all over the internet, the memes, etc. People have questioned why Will Smith is still married to Jada, why he tolerated that-especially when he looked Jada in the eyes and said he can love her through anything.
I intentionally wanted to show this photo because the caption talks about that a man cannot be loved unless there’s a condition to provide something. While the statement is true for a man, it is also true for a woman. Why would we look for a partner if we didn’t have a condition to be met? I believe that consciously or unconsciously, we are searching for something that a partner can fulfil, hence, having a condition. So, I don’t believe in such a thing as unconditional relationship or marriage. Dealing with another human being is not an easy thing. It requires certain level of understanding, forgiveness, kindness, and love for one another if you plan to last a lifetime. We are imperfect beings. Our natural inclination is to fulfil our own selfishness desires. What I noticed about the Smith family is that they understand each other. They tend to each other’s needs unselfishly, which is great. They are kind to each other. Will Smith may look like a victim of a bad relationship on camera but we all do not know what goes on in their household. The fact that they are able to move past infidelity is a great thing for this family because God knows that could be a deal breaker for a majority of relationships. One thing we all should remind ourselves of is that we get married to be together for a lifetime. Therefore, if this family can move past this and be happy together, we should be happy for them. Marriage is a complex relationship that even people married for over 50 years do not fully understand. My father, who was married to my mother for 52 years before she passed away still tells me that he didn’t fully comprehend marriage. If you can bear with your partner’s mistakes, why leave the great life you have created together for the unknown?
Lessons:
If you are a single woman, pray for a man like Will Smith.
If you are a single man, pray for the ability to understand your partner and help her through life within what you can tolerate.
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