Last night, after much of my energy just wouldn’t stop, I sat down and turned on the T.V. Flipping through the channels I came across the movie Julia & Julia, the story of a young writer who writes a blog while making every dish of Julia Child’s recipes. It’s been a lot time, but I use to remember watching Julia Child on television. I guess I always found cooking fascinating, but what were more striking weren’t her cooking skills. Instead, what I learned was what a good marriage she had to her husband Paul. I don’t know why I felt compelled to read her personal story so much, but I’m glad that I did. Perhaps it was the way that the producers painted her life story. She looked to have such a caring and supportive relationship with her husband and I came to learn that she truly did. Here were two people who lived their lives looking to make the other person happy. I’m not seeing this type of relationship anymore. It’s the ingredient that is missing in many recipes for a good relationship.

Eggs, flour, sugar; without many of these ingredients, cakes and cookies may fall apart. Perhaps this why there is a high number of marriages that are ending in divorce. They’re missing the eggs, water, and flour in their lives, the ingredients that bond and hold a relationship together. Of course relationships aren’t made out of food products, but perhaps love, respect, acceptance, and likability just aren’t there. We find that people stay together for the sake of religion, for their children, or even the fear of being on their own again; but is it enough to sacrifice what good be the ultimate batter…the ultimate recipe to a lasting relationship. Julia Child had given an excellent quote, she said: “The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they’re right if you love to be with them all the time.” I think it’s something that we forget about the longer we are with a person. There are many that are following a relationship recipe without the ingredients that are helpful for happiness. Without the eggs, water, and flour, it makes it difficult to have a good recipe without the ingredients needed for a lasting relationship .