The Power of Community in Marriage

Listen, I watched my cousin marry in our village square last month and what I witnessed

changed everything I thought I knew about commitment. No fancy venue. No expensive decorations.

Just red earth beneath our feet and the entire community forming a living circle around them.

The elders blessed the union with words passed down through generations. Women ululated so

loudly the sound echoed off distant hills. Children ran between the crowds carrying

calabashes of palm wine. Every single person there had a role, a purpose,

a stake in this marriage succeeding. Here's what hit me hardest. In that moment,

marriage wasn't just about two people falling in love. It was about two families becoming