Hell on earth as in heaven

My family were away on a holiday at a beach resort in Pulau Redang. We really enjoyed the beach and the activities organised by the resort. We tried snorkeling for the first time and we enjoyed every minute of it and came home with very sun tanned bodies to prove.

The holiday ended badly for my son though because he was bullied by some kids amongst our travel group and was hurt while playing with them. Then he was careless with his belongings and his game boy was stolen. For someone who look forward to it the first thing in the morning, the realisation that he is never ever going to get it back hit him hard. As I watched him crying over these incidents, I felt that he has found hell on earth.

What about the heaven part of hell? Though my husband and I do not share common interest in activities we each enjoy, it was great that we could enjoy this beach holiday together. This is not the case for my fellow holiday friend. Her husband refused to join her for the trip citing that their five year old child is too young for dangerous beach activities.

While she is into outdoor activities, her husband is a homely book worm. A reverse I see in my relationship. It makes me wonder, why most couples are made up of partners of dissimilar interest? Are we seeking values in our mates that we do not have but wished for? Though I have found heaven in my mate, it can be hell for me when it is obvious that he is not enjoying what I am into and opt not to join me, often time.

Observing couples who have found their soul mates, I have been thinking that they must be living in heaven. Soul mates tend to agree to most of the ventures one or the other mate pursues. It is obvious that they support each other spiritually, financially and are usually into something or other together. So, why do I hear noises of discontent from such couples now and then? I guess nothing is perfect on earth as in heaven and only love can pull us through hell wherever we want to visualise it to be.

Meantime, we could all learn to appreciate the down to earth happiness when it is in sight.