On the outside looking in

As many people do, I hope to (someday) be in a relationship that is beautiful and fulfilling. It’s something that most people want. Sadly, through my adult life I have seen an unfortunate phenomenon for some couples. The circle of people around the couple is not supportive and sometimes even brutal.
Case in point, a friend I cared for very much was a woman in her early thirties. She was the most devout woman I have met and her warmth extended to not only those in her faith but to all people. She also suffered from a nervous disorder but never let it affect her warm disposition. She managed to find her equal during our friendship. What people saw as a complication was that he was 8 years her junior. People criticized them and deemed their relationship ugly and inappropriate. She would talk to me and tell me how wonderful it was to find someone and then cry about the terrible things that were being said about her. The couple was ultimately outcast with the exception of a few close friends. I was so happy for them when they got married but it saddened me to see so many faces missing at the wedding.
I’ve seen similar treatment repeated in my own life, the lives of my family members, and the lives of friends. Straight, gay, mixed race, mixed background,, mixed religion, colorful pasts – all have invited the criticism of those surrounding the couple. I wish people would reserve judgement and just be happy. Granted, sometimes beautiful relationships fall apart. Sometimes they appear doomed from the beginning. But for the sake of the people they care about, I wish they would just rejoice and be supportive. Life is too short and love too scarce.