IT CAN BE A LITTLE DAUNTING to embark on marriage with the knowledge that there is a certain kind of history that runs in your family.
That’s the difficulty Shurrod Holligan faces. After all his grandparents Daphne and James Holligan have been married for 56 years and his own parents John and Glendora Holligan have been married 28 years.
So he knew that when he told his parents two years ago that he was ready to marry his long-time girlfriend Charlene, the pressure undoubtedly was on.
His parents, too, initially expressed concern because they felt that at 24, he might have been a bit too young for the demands of marriage.
“But after he spoke to us and told us he was in love and ready, his mother and I gave him our blessing,” said his father John Holligan. “I, too, got married young, so I really couldn’t stand in his way.”
Shurrod’s parents took comfort in the fact they were dating for seven years and they both grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
“I knew that Charlene was the one,” a confident Shurrod said.
Initially, though, Charlene wasn’t so sure about Shurrod.
“I was someone that always had a map out for my life,” Charlene revealed. “At first I didn’t really like him. But then we got to know each other and I would have prayed and asked God to show me a guy and help me to make the right choice. I really prayed about him.”
Charlene’s mother and grandmother are both Adventists and she credits her faith in God for helping her thus far, particularly as the couple are expecting their first child.
Their two years together have brought its share of highs, but they both admit it has been a learning experience as they learn to mesh personalities and expectations.
“In your marriage there are only supposed to be three persons, you, your husband and God,” Charlene said.
Shurrod admits that he is still growing in his marriage and often wonders how his parents and grandparents did it, but he is committed to making it work.
“I just intend to maintain it and keep it working,” he said. “Thankfully, I can always go to [my parents] for advice.”
Charlene, who knows the work that marriage entails, also knows that both she and Shurrod are growing in their roles as husband and wife and the responsibilities that come with those roles.
“I know it’s all about giving and taking,” she said. “You have to be able to see when that person is hurting. But I’m persistent and I plan on sticking it out for the long haul.”
