Marriage Proposal

On Saturday morning, I got up as usual to a good day after a long week of work. Last week was a busy week for me especially when I had to flip through 350 pages of laboratory quality control programs. As you can tell, it was not fun at all. I was looking forward to the weekend. I also had an appointment with a good friend of mine who has been trying for the last one week to meet in private. I had no reason to suspect why he was so tenacious to meet me . I was eager to meet him too since I have not seen him for quite some time. The friend of mine had a message from a family that we both knew. They confided their message to him in order for him to pass the message to me. I will try to respect the family privacy while I write my opinion in my blog.


I got a marriage proposal today from a family that I respect so much. They have sent my friend to tell me that they want me to marry their beautiful daughter whom I have crossed path with before when she visited her aunt down here in Atlanta.She is a young beatiful Somali sister.My friend laid it out to me about the message few minutes after we chatted up. I was surprised with the respect and honor I was accorded by this family. When my friend was telling me the message, I kept looking at him as if I was trying to figure out weather he was fooling at me, but he was damn serious. I could tell why they used him as a messenger for he is a man of respect in the community.


Silence fell around me when my freind started conveying the message to me. My imagination clicked into overdrive. Unfortunately, I had to turn down the offer because of personal reasons. I blurted out an apology to my friend for turning down the offer.” Its alright I guess if you not ready” He said in a kindlier tone. His placidity seemed eerie in view of the bombshell he dropped at my doorstep. I tried to explain to him effusively why I had to turn down the gesture. Thanks to Allah that I have a good job and a good health, but unfortunately marriage is not in my plan for now. I have other goals I want to accomplish before I settled down for a marriage. I know it is blessings from God when people respect you to give you their daughter's hands, but it is hard when you hardly know the person you have been given. I currently have a girlfriend whom I like so much. I have to face the paradox of explaining to my girlfriend why I should leave her for someone I hardly know. My current girlfriend seems to respect my goal in life. I have explained to her when I think I will be ready to settle down. She seems to respect my goal for she has the same dream of going to graduate school.Even though I haven't promised her anything either, but I suspect things will work out between the two of us.


I lay in my bed and stared up at the ceiling wall trying to figure out whether the family will think I thought I was too good for their daughter. Did I slunk away from them without giving them a good answer as to why I was not interested in their daughter? I wish I considered the implication my answer will have on the family, but some things are better said in an honest way. I did as I felt. At this moment in my life, I believe I am not ready to take a promise on which girl I will marry.Did I do the right thing? I think Allah is my witness that I was honest with my answer.