How Divorce Can Be the Ultimate Way of Showing Love
Whenever I think of divorce, I think of a green eyed monster that enters a couple’s life and completely destroys it. I think of broken promises, misery and every single connotation that comes with failing at something that’s too important to just pass by. Yet, I’ve stumbled across a story lately that changed my mind about divorce all together.
In the Egyptian talk show Set El Hosn, actor Mahmoud El Gendy talked about his relationship with actress Abla Kamel. The couple was married for a while and then got a divorce. He says that when he proposed to her, she accepted without any conditions whatsoever other than “mora3at Rabena” (him treating her with the respect of God). What created a strain on the relationship, according to El Gendy, was the fact that her career was more successful than his. Even though Kamel tried to help him by getting him roles to play, that ended up making him feel like a burden, which strained the relationship and made him cranky and angry all the time, until the actress asked for divorce.
When Kamel insisted on the divorce, El Gendy obliged, even though he still loved her and didn’t want to live without her. This story made me realize, that I’ve been perceiving divorce the wrong way all along. We all have our flaws and we all have limitations (physical or mental). Admitting that you can’t handle a relationship, and can’t offer your spouse what you think they deserve, is not failure, it’s the ultimate sign of strength and sacrifice. It’s the ultimate sign of love. Misery loves company, but if you are drowning, you wouldn’t want the person that you love to drown with you. That’s exactly what love is.
