“Macron Marriages” – the strange phraseology in the article didn't surprise me at all. From public to media, everyone is obsessed with The President’s marriage, and not his works as a public servant. Endemic and mostly derisive posts and comments on the age gap between Emmanuel Macron and his wife are disgusting and nauseous to say the least. They've given me strong reasons to pen down my thoughts on how rampant ageism and sexism are, especially in societies like ours where older wives aren't as common as older husbands. In spite of claiming to be progressive, people continue to attack Mrs. Macron with sexist insults of all sorts. No, she doesn't deserve this. No one does. Yes, Mrs Macron is 24 years older than her husband, but why should a birth certificate get in the way of one’s happiness? Here comes the most ironic part – The age difference is almost the same as that of the U.S. president and his wife, but no one talks about it. That’s the typical double standard of our society.
Source - yahoo.com
If two people love each other and get married, that's their prerogative. Love is the most natural and purest emotion known to us. True love is powerful enough to transcend every hurdle, because “the heart wants what it wants”. Yet, love still fails to defy some longstanding societal notions based on gender, age, and so on. Age is the most ‘decisive’ one among them. Our prudish society is yet to accept the fact that romance can blossom even without being hindered by the so called ‘significant’ age gaps that pique people’s curiosity. When two consenting, respectful, and mature people are in a relationship, age doesn’t matter at all. Because, true love seeks physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual fulfillment, and it’s solely based on understanding and compatibility.
But when it comes to a misogynic society like ours, a man should be the protector and patriarch, and should be superior in all aspects. So, men are free to choose younger partners, and their jaw dropping age difference doesn’t surprise anyone. If age isn’t anything but a number why doesn’t it apply to women as well? Why does all hell break loose if an older woman is happy to settle down with a younger woman? Forget persuading the puritanical society, she never gets a nod of approval even from her kith and kin. She is tormented with endless ridiculous and unjustifiable wrath, and eventually gets ostracized for putting her love above the options and expectations of the society. Sadly, we have no dearth of conservative-minds that discourage relationships that fail to meet the preset standards of the society, and treat them as immoral and scandalous. Why can’t such relations be tenable and possible?
Regardless of age, no relationship comes with a guarantee. All relationships have their share of hurdles, and takes fair share of time, effort, understanding, and patience. Hence, it’s high time to relinquish the anachronistic notions about gender and marriage. We should start reassessing what makes a couple comfortable and compatible, and appreciate relationships from beyond the walls of archaic traditions rooted in patriarchy. Marriage and choice of partner is one’s personal preference. Everyone is free to live the life they choose. Hence we must be willing to accept each others' choices and not entwine them in the frivolous complexities of age, traditions and patriarchy. Simply put, can’t we let love and happiness exist the way they are?