Margaret Thatcher - part 2 (just how far do you take love?)

The marriage of Margaret and Denis Thatcher was one of the most stable marriages that I have seen in my life. Their love for each other was a marvelous thing to behold. I am sure that many people desired to have such a union for themselves.

My one daughter is at the age of looking for a boyfriend. It almost seems as if perfection is called for beforehand; perfect attraction, perfect looks, perfect wallet, perfect education (yes I am exaggerating a bit). I too had those ideas - wide open eyes before and half closed eyes afterwards, not the other way round. Yet one can be too fussy. We tend to look with the outward eyes, not the eyes of our souls.
I sometimes wish that things existed like in royalty in the old days, where parents made the decisions for their children.

In the case of Margaret, Denis was married in the war but due to a prolonged absence necessitated by being posted as a soldier elsewhere, he and his first wife ended up being divorced). He was also about eleven years older than Margaret. In those days, divorce was scandalous.

Margaret had another fellow who she was very keen on and they had strong feelings for each other, but he never proposed marriage by the time Denis proposed. Margaret did not give him an immediate answer, she went away and considered the pro's and con's. Yes, he was not the first love of her life, yes he had been married before, yes he was older but there were definite pro's apart from the aforementioned negatives. He would be a good provider, he had his own business. She would be able to further her studies and he would be able to afford a flat closer to London. She would be able to pursue her political ambitions with his support, that was a big thing in those days as women were expected to be stay at home mums. She accepted his proposal and a marvelous relationship began.

Once when asked about his marriage to Margaret, he wisely responded.

There were other benefits that she had not foreseen, he would show her how to have fun; he was a hard worker but unlike the home Margaret came from, he knew how to relax when the occasion permitted). I think he also had a depth of character that Margaret came to depend on, the Iron Lady to be had a rock on whom she could depend. With him at her side (even behind her when the cameras and media swarmed around), Margaret was now able to face the world and break down male barriers.