Benjamin, I completely agree to disagree. I've had this talk with my wife and we're both on equal footing.
Don't get me wrong, I would take a bullet to "save" my wife, but I would not give up my life if I knew my wife was going to die anyway... no way, no how, no chance.
I would feel like a failure as a husband if my wife ever had to come begging and pleading of anything within my power to grant, even to the point of my demise. If you aren't willing to sacrifice all you have for the one person that is supposed to mean more to you than anything else this world could offer save the life of your child, then from my point of view you've missed the meaning of what marriage is supposed to be.
I totally disagree 100%. Marriage is about selfless love, and if my wife expected me to die along side her, she is being selfish. I would never expect or want her to open the door for me. She deserves to be happy; even with someone else. If she decides to kill herself because she didn't open the door, that is her choice and cross to bear.
We obviously have a very different philosophy about love and marriage... I don't need my wife and she doesn't need me. We want each other.
To think my life should stop because I can't live without her is, in my opinion, asinine and ludacris. I am completely ready to move on without her. Would it her? Absolutely!!! But, life doesn't stop existing.
In my opinion, you have given up the right to a normal life once you took your vows. Part of your life belongs to your spouse, and according to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, it is about an 80/20 split, with the 80% belonging now to your spouse. My grandparents thought this way and stayed together 50+ years. My parents always looked for equity in their marriages, and so have been married and divorced quite a few times. My wife and I think like my grandparents, and have been together 19 years now.
I'm glad you have been happy and lasted so long, conratulations. however, I don't follow that line of reasoning, and saying you only existed this long because you followed your grandparents line of reasoning is absurd.
You guys lasted this long because you are your own individuals and sync up pretty well and have an understanding and acceptance of eachother. The way your parents and grandparents lived have nothing to do with it...