We can’t save each other, but money can?

I watched Minari over the weekend, and I absolutely loved the way it beautifully narrates the real struggles and tension between a married couple.

*SPOILER ALERT*

The movie talks about a Korean immigrant family in America, where the husband decides to move his whole family to a rural area to chase the American dream of starting his own farm. The wife has a difficult time adjusting as she craves for stability for the family. Their opposing views often lead to sudden anger outbursts and arguments.  

In one particular scene, the husband says that as soon as he can start making money with the farm, everything will be fine. And the wife very disappointedly replies, “So we can’t save each other, but money can?” And that really hit home.

A marriage doesn’t just get better because we make more money or when our circumstances improve. It might temporarily help with releasing some tension, but it still doesn’t change the way we decide to interact with each other and how we manage conflicts.

A thriving marriage starts with ourselves, no matter what our circumstances are. And this movie was a great reminder of this.