They had lived down the road from each other as children. Everyday they walked home from school hand in hand; they were childhood sweethearts, they were bestfriends. And when they came of age, in the time-honoured Sri Lankan tradition they were given in marriage. To other people.

Ashok Ferrey
About This Quote

Sadly, in the 21st century this is how many marriages are conducted in Sri Lanka, with both parties getting married to someone they have never met. The fact that they are best friends when they are children does not mean that their friendship will translate over time. As much as it may be painful when you realize your childhood friend has gotten married to someone you do not know, it must be equally painful for the person you have just been given in marriage.

Source: The Good Little Ceylonese Girl

Some Similar Quotes
  1. It is a fine thing to establish one's own religion in one's heart, not to be dependent on tradition and second-hand ideals. Life will seem to you, later, not a lesser, but a greater thing. - D.h. Lawrence

  2. ..What I have denied and what my reason compels me to deny, is the existence of a Being throned above us as a god, directing our mundane affairs in detail, regarding us as individuals, punishing us, rewarding us as human judges might. When the churches... - Thomas A. Edison

  3. Every plant, tree, and animal is a blessing and every person has a purpose for living. Courage, curiosity, and generosity produce noble spirits. Enduring life honorably results in wisdom. Knowledge passed down from one generation to the next along with humankind's tradition of performing charitable... - Kilroy J. Oldster

  4. And then it occurs to me. They are frightened. In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. They see daughters who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese,... - Amy Tan

  5. Before we complicated life with money, machines and missiles we did well with morals, manpower and meetings. - Amit Kalantri

More Quotes By Ashok Ferrey
  1. They had lived down the road from each other as children. Everyday they walked home from school hand in hand; they were childhood sweethearts, they were bestfriends. And when they came of age, in the time-honoured Sri Lankan tradition they were given in marriage. To...

  2. In Sri Lanka, the people you lived amongst, the people you went to school with, the people in whose houses you ate, whose jokes you shared: these were not the people you married. Quite possibly they were not your religion. More to the point they...

Related Topics