I shortly cried for a brief period one night around a week ago after reading the end of Tertullian's second "Ad Uxorem (To my wife)" text (a set of two letters he had addressed to his wife in discussion of marriage within Christianity, and its potential for a wondrous romantic prosperity between the faithful couple). The writing itself is beautiful. I'm not sure the exact reasons for which I sobbed, as the tears themselves confused me as I shed them, and it was only for around two minutes that I did cry, but my assumption is that the emotional context of my daily observations of the behavior of so many of the women I see at school and in my local community juxtaposed to Tertullian's lovely written thoughts here made me feel a bit hopeless of ever attaining what he was writing of. I will paste the paragraph here. Sorry if it's a lot of words.
>How beautiful, then, the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in hope, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice. They are as brother and sister, both servants of the same Master. Nothing divides them, either in flesh or in spirit. They are, in very truth, two in one flesh; and where there is but one flesh there is also but one spirit. They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God's church and partake of God's Banquet; side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations. They have no secrets from one another; they never shun each other's company; they never bring sorrow to each other's hearts. Unembarrassed they visit the sick and assist the needy. They give alms without anxiety; they attend the Sacrifice without difficulty; they perform their daily exercises of piety without hindrance. They need not be furtive about making the Sign of the Cross, nor timorous in greeting the brethren, nor silent in asking a blessing of God. Psalms and hymns they sing to one another, striving to see which one of them will chant more beautifully the praises of their Lord. Hearing and seeing this, Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present; and where He is, there evil is not.