Previously,  I spoke about the public divorce of Mr. and Mrs. Macklowe.  I mentioned how Mr. Macklowe was over 80 years old and his wife, Linda, 79.  The reason for their divorce according to the reporters was Mr. Macklowe was having an affair and "robbing the cradle."  Apparently, his French girlfriend was much younger than him, being only 64 years of age.   Upon hearing this news, I couldn't stop laughing...

Since when is anyone 64 years old
considered "in the cradle" in the first place? 

Heck, his girlfriend was eligible for AARP for 14 years earlier!  Since when is anyone 64-years-old considered to be "in the cradle" in the first place?  Isn't it extremely funny how anything can be twisted to create drama in today's news?  Yes, there is a sixteen-year-age difference between these two adults, but both of them are still considered senior citizens. 

Another reason, I laughed so hard was I had a flash-back.  When I was first started dating my husband, he had received the same label as Mr. Macklowe, "a cradle robber."  Michael was 21 years my senior, although not a senior citizen at that time.  We were both intelligent adults: me in my 20's and him in his 40's.  We've been married 20 years this September.  When I married Michael, not only was he called a "cradle robber" but someone actually accused me of "robbing the grave!" 

Marriage to Michael taught me a lot about discrimination, society labels, and the mean streak many people possess.  During the first few years of our marriage, we heard all the ugly stereotypes in either whispers behind our back or boldly to our faces: "gold digger; midlife crisis; father complex; cradle-robber; sugar daddy; grave-robber; and even whore."  None of these labels were true, but it never stopped rude people from saying them. 

Back in those days, I wasn't saved yet, and my response was often blunt sarcasm.  Okay, so I'm still blunt and sarcastic but I have more mercy and patience now.  But back then, I confronted a woman in Walmart who was making crude comments about my husband being older than me.  She was pointing and loudly saying comments to another woman who was also loudly agreeing with her right in front of me about how old Micheal looked and how I was probably just his "young play thing of the week."  Well, I marched over to those two women and told the first woman she should be ashamed for gossiping because Michael couldn't help that he had an age degenerative disease that made him look so much older than me.  Then  I went on to say people like her and her friend needed to keep their filthy mouths closed because they hurt total strangers with their rude assumptions and ignorance.   I informed the woman Michael felt terrible that he looked so much older than me, but he couldn't help it because medical science had not yet found a cure for his disease.  Then I informed her, we had been happily married for 2 years with the exception of rude people like her making nasty comments about us.  As you can imagine, that woman never thought I would challenge her openly in public.  She was acted ashamed and even apologized before leaving.   Meanwhile, I turned around and found Michael grinning at me and asking, "I have an age degenerative disease?"

I said, "of course you do, it's called life, and the longer you have, it the older you look.  Sadly there is no cure yet."  We laughed all the way out of the store.  A lot of things have changed since then.  I've matured and look much older now; though Michael hasn't changed much.  I suppose the difference in our age isn't as noticeable, since we don't receive half the rude comments we used to get from strangers.  

Have you ever experienced discrimination in your relationships?  Were you able to turn any of it into a humorous memory?    

I know I live in a society gone crazy with greed when I stumble across a news video about the plight of an 80-year-old billionaire divorcing his wife of 59 years.  Reportedly, the couple married when Mr. Macklowe was 21 and working in a magazine advertising department.  His new bride, Linda, was just 20 years old and worked too.  They married before the concept of prenuptial agreements was popular and before either one of them was actually wealthy.  Sources report Mr. Macklowe's worth is between 1 and billion dollars, with an art collection estimated to be worth 1 billion dollars.  The couple is fighting over the proper division of assets, primarily on the wife's behalf as she alleges the art collection designated for her was only worth half a billion dollars.  

Wow!  First of all, I cannot imagine anyone needing a half billion dollar art collection adorning their home when the world is in such critical chaos.  Millions of people are desperate for the basic essentials of life: clean water, food, and housing.  Just a few pieces from this art collection could provide life and a future for thousands, if not millions of people.  The thought of this art collection reminded me of The Schindler's List  movie clip where Mr. Schindler has the realization that 1 person could have been saved if he had not kept his gold lapel pin, or perhaps 10 people might have lived if he had forgone the car.   There are times when I ponder what do I own that might be a better asset in the hands of another?  Could I liquidate a personal pleasure to save a life?   If I was sitting on a half-billion dollar art collection, there would be no doubt as to the answer to these questions.

What struck me the most about this very public divorce was the absurdity of two competent senior citizens arguing like toddlers over how to divide 1 billion dollars in assets, because apparently obtaining only half a billion dollars was not enough. 

Can you imagine?  I guess this just goes to prove several things:

This divorce demonstrates the world has to nothing offer marriage.   Today any two adults can get married.  Yet many marriages are destined for destruction because God is not in the middle of their marriage.   Marriage was God's design and without Him holding onto the man and woman to unite them, it won't be truly successful.

Marriage was created to make a person stronger than he/she could be alone.  It's a place where you partner to help accomplish your dreams and make the world better place for everyone.  It was supposed to be a safe haven where children could be raised in a loving home.  But sadly today, it is on "The Most Endangered List."

I'm not sure what exactly it will take before people embrace the power of a godly marriage and return to it's creator for the original design and instructions.   But obviously, the worldly definition of marriage is resulting only in increased selfishness, destruction, and greed.

What do you think?  Does the idea and application of marriage need a serious revision  in today's society?  If so, how?