Di for Divorce
They sat, cheerful, bright-eyed and seemed genuinely looking forward to understand more about one of the largest news agencies in the world. This was striking contrast to most other delegations of journalists, officials, foreigners that visit our office (wanting to know more about the wire agency) who mostly look tired with 'the earlier this ends the better....looks. The Bhutanese looked happy people from a country that gives paramount importance to its famed Happiness Index.
Are we happy people?
I gave families in our building a happiness test. (I consider myself happy, at least not unhappy!).
The immediate neighbour lives alone- divorced (wife fought, sought and got divorce and left with the child). A happy couple on the floor above- a morning walk together etc. etc. A teacher with a husband who resigned his job, son in Canada, daughter in school- a worried lot. Another case of divorce in making- husband a Malllu, wife from North-east. Yet another case of a young girl staying with parents after a divorce. A family with wife who has migrated to US with children, leaving the husband behind alone. Its a mixed bag. A friend (not in our colony) non-nonchalantly talks of her first and second husbands. She is not looking for a third as of now, she says. Has a child with diabetes.
A friend visited recently. A fraction of her usual happy, chirpy self. Looked totally withdrawn. Divorced after 35 years of marriage- two grown up daughters and a teen-aged son. Something is wrong somewhere.
We as children, have heard story of a wife chasing the death God Yama and fetching her husband back to life. While in Colombo, a friend lost his mother and within minutes the father died too. It was a double cremation he had to perform. Will these become only stories?
After the Lady Diana and Prince Charles 'fairy tale' divorce the the most high profile divorce in news these days is Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.
They sat, cheerful, bright-eyed and seemed genuinely looking forward to understand more about one of the largest news agencies in the world. This was striking contrast to most other delegations of journalists, officials, foreigners that visit our office (wanting to know more about the wire agency) who mostly look tired with 'the earlier this ends the better....looks. The Bhutanese looked happy people from a country that gives paramount importance to its famed Happiness Index.
Are we happy people?
I gave families in our building a happiness test. (I consider myself happy, at least not unhappy!).
The immediate neighbour lives alone- divorced (wife fought, sought and got divorce and left with the child). A happy couple on the floor above- a morning walk together etc. etc. A teacher with a husband who resigned his job, son in Canada, daughter in school- a worried lot. Another case of divorce in making- husband a Malllu, wife from North-east. Yet another case of a young girl staying with parents after a divorce. A family with wife who has migrated to US with children, leaving the husband behind alone. Its a mixed bag. A friend (not in our colony) non-nonchalantly talks of her first and second husbands. She is not looking for a third as of now, she says. Has a child with diabetes.
A friend visited recently. A fraction of her usual happy, chirpy self. Looked totally withdrawn. Divorced after 35 years of marriage- two grown up daughters and a teen-aged son. Something is wrong somewhere.
We as children, have heard story of a wife chasing the death God Yama and fetching her husband back to life. While in Colombo, a friend lost his mother and within minutes the father died too. It was a double cremation he had to perform. Will these become only stories?
After the Lady Diana and Prince Charles 'fairy tale' divorce the the most high profile divorce in news these days is Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.
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