J
JPUSC
Guest
I think both the spouse and the children are primary and equal. You can’t love one more than the other. There are different kinds of love and they should not be in competition. Certainly, Our Lady didn’t love St. Joseph more than the Child Jesus!**I disagree with everyone who says the children come first, step or biological. The marital relationship is primary. Always. **
Unfortunately, the dynamics in a broken family make it difficult for the children and the parents to express their proper family roles.
I don’t think you are wrong to want the kind of dymanics in the relationship that you express. But, realistically, you may not be able to have them. He may not be capable of giving to you what you need.
Not everyone is suited for step-parenting. If you love him and love his children, you can work hard to make a family. If you aren’t willing to do the extra work needed in this situation, then you should find someone who has no children and no ex-spouse.
I suggest you seek out Catholic resource for step-parenting. Check with your diocesan family life office.
Some argue that “when the children are grown up and out of the house they will have only each other”. That’s not true for many cultures. Many adult sons and daughters remain a big part of their parents lives and raise their own families in close proximity; sometimes next door, sometimes even in the same home.
Or maybe it should be worded differently. I view my parents as an inseparable entity. Something I tell one parent will eventually make it to the other parent. They are a united front, but we love each other equally.