Sometimes a little inspiration can be exactly the push we need to reevaluate our own lives, to look at what we have with gratitude, and to rekindle our passion for making life the best it can be.
This type of inspiration is even more powerful when it comes from real world examples, not just fiction. A recent documentary titled My Love, Don’t Cross That River is a shining example of just that. The film covers 15 months of day-to-day life for a South Korean couple that has been married for 76 years.
Created by director Jin Mo-young, this moving, poetic piece of cinema follows husband Jo Byong-man, 98 years old, and his wife Kang Gye-yeul, 89 years old, through their quiet life in Gangwon Province in South Korea. The couple shares household responsibilities in their modest home, gathering firewood, preparing meals, and tending to their dogs – and they do it all together, with a palpable sense of playfulness and love.
The documentary is truly heart wrenching, as you watch Jin’s declining health and labored breathing, but also truly inspiring. Even after 76 years of marriage, these two are playful and affectionate, tossing leaves and snow at one another jokingly, even dressing in similar colors.
It’s a look back at a very different time in history, when people wed young and many children were common – they had 12 children, but 6 of them died of measles. The couple confronts old age and failing bodies, their extended family, and the looming reality of Jo’s death… And all the while, they are happy, connected, and even to the outside observer, very much in love.
This is a beautiful depiction of how strong a marriage can truly be – a connection that lasts a lifetime, through pain and joy alike, through all the ups and downs life has to offer.
The winner of several awards, and critically acclaimed across multiple countries, My Love, Don’t Cross That River will fill your heart with the possibilities your marriage holds, inspire you to grow the connection you have with your spouse, and fill you with quiet admiration for this adorable, aging couple. We can’t recommend it highly enough.
For more advice on how to strengthen your marriage, check out the StrongMarriageNow System today!
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Dr. Dana Fillmore and Amy Barnhart, co-Founders, StrongMarriageNow.com