StarTrend

People talk about marriage like it is a trophy for a woman. I do not see it like that. For me, marriage is just another phase of life. It is not the full story of who you are. It is not the only thing that gives you value.

If you are blessed to find someone who loves you and is also your friend, then you enjoy that phase. You laugh, you grow and you face life together. If it does not happen, it is still your life. You are not less of a person. My life is mine, married or not.

— Uche Jombo

I got married when I was just 19. It wasn’t my choice—my parents arranged it. At first, I was scared. I didn’t know how to love a man I didn’t choose. But as time passed, love grew. We spent 23 years together. He was sick for 15 of those years, and in 2000, he passed away. We had three beautiful kids, and I adopted five more. One of them died, so now I have seven. I never remarried. I wanted to stay with my children and raise them well.

Today, people take too long fixing themselves, yet marriages don’t last. In our time, our parents chose for us, and we stayed committed. I’ve told my children never to think of divorce. I raised my daughters to be respectful and my sons to be responsible. That’s how I built a strong home through hardship, love, respect and sacrifice.

– Patience Ozokwor ❤️