Once the initial surprise wore off, the room burst into laughter. Everyone was in stitches. That day, we all learned a good lesson. Engineers come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes with a better sense of humour than you would expect. We had our traditional marriage in 1977. Our first child arrived in 1978. By that time, I had already moved to Liberia for work, and six months later, she joined me, pregnant with our second daughter. Life in Liberia was full of promise. Initially, she stayed home, but once we found our feet, I opened a drug store for her to run. It gave her independence and brought our family much-needed stability. We thrived. Liberia was good to us. While we were living in Liberia, I felt a strong desire to have our union blessed in the Church. In 1982, five years into our marriage and with two daughters, we decided to return to Ghana for a formal Catholic wedding. Coordinating a ceremony from abroad was no small task, but I was determined to see it through. We chose Kumasi, where I had been born and raised, the place that had shaped me. My father had passed away when I was just 17, but my mother was still alive, and I wanted her to witness our vows. Surrounded by family and the people who had known me all my life, we had a beautiful ceremony. There was joy, music, and meaning. Every hurdle we overcame to make it happen was worth it. Araba is beloved in my family. My siblings adore her. She also comes from a large, deeply respected family. We balance each other. In the mid-1980s, I had begun thinking ahead. School fees were becoming expensive, and we had four children under our care, including a nephew. I knew I wanted to start my own company, although I had no idea how it would unfold. I decided to bring the family back to Ghana. It was a more affordable, safer, and wiser choice. That decision turned out to be prophetic. When the civil war broke out in full force a year later, the family was already settled at home. We had to abandon everything and start over, but we were together. My wife has endured so much. Brain surgery in 2008. Breast cancer. Through it all, she never appeared to panic or live in fear. She prayed. She found strength in silence and in her faith. She had beenMethodist when we met, but after marriage, she embraced Catholicism fully, perhaps even more devout than I am now. The Rosary became part of her daily rhythm. What has kept our marriage strong over 48 years? Understanding. Respect. Quiet patience. We never involve third parties in our issues. We always resolved them between the two of us. I often tell younger couples: You do not marry to change someone. You marry to love them as they are. And if 14 The Birthday Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==