There is more to Life than Roses: A Youth Leaders Response to Juliet Capulet

There is more to Life than Roses: A Youth Leaders Response to Juliet Capulet

By. Mary E. Petrie

Oh sweet Julie girl, who is this boy you long for so deeply. He came to your family home while you were celebrating, as a prank. He did not even give you his name, you had to learn that from you nursemaid. Romeo Montague, is he not your father’s reveal, he would not wish you meet him. Sweet Julie girl you are so young, you have your whole life ahead of you, please don’t let sweet words blind your sight. You are not the first one he has loved, the lovely Rosaline he has also loved, they say she is in loved him so and now he turns around like the sun.      

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet… 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; -- Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title:--Romeo, doff thy name; And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.” (Shakespeare 2.2.33-48)

Sweet Julie there is more to life than roses, and kisses, please wait you have just met. Please wait a year or two, yes he very well could be your one, which means he could be the one in year still. Please wait, please sweet child don’t let your feelings sway, visions of truth. Keep yourself pure as the driven snow, so you can stand before heavenly Father with a heart even more pure. Your earthly father’s reason may not be that of the Lords but he is still your father and that has not changed. You are only thirteen sweet one; let your love grow over time.  

“Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament: They are but beggars that can count their worth; but my true love is grown to such excess, I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.”

 Friar: “Come, come with me, and we will make short work; For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone Till holy church incorporate two in one”(Shakespeare 2.6.30-36)

What have you done sweet, why good man such as Friar would have done? You are but a child yourself. How can you be a wife? It is too late complaining; you must tell your father, he and your mother, must hear the truth from you, before it comes from some ells. Lies only bring pain, and both of your families have known too much of that. So please sweet Julie, be honest. Please also refrain from sex.  You know that is why you, have wed, so that you can be one with Romeo. Sex at such a young age will only bring pain to you. Sweet Julie, you have so much life ahead, high school, college, friends, family that very well will not happen if you bring a baby into the world. If you bring a baby into the world, you will not sleep then you will not study. You are right that as married ‘woman’ your body is not your own, but if your husband demands sex, he does not love you like Christ loves the Church, because he would know he cannot provide for you or the baby by bagging groceries at the corner store. So please wait, sweet Julie girl for sex till you are older and tell your friends to wait till the wed too.

“'Tybalt is dead and Romeo banished.' That 'banished,' that one word 'banished,' hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt's death Was woe enough, if it had ended there: Or, if sour woe delights in fellowship, And needly will be rank'd with other griefs,-- Why follow'd not, when she said Tybalt's dead, Thy father, or thy mother, nay, or both, Which modern lamentation might have mov'd? But with a rear-ward following Tybalt's death, 'Romeo is banished'—to speak that word Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, All slain, all dead: 'Romeo is banished,'-- There is no end, no limit, measure, bound, In that word's death; no words can that woe sound.” (Shakespeare 3:2. 112-126)      

Oh sadden Julie girl, death, blood has stained your happiness, the sun has not set on your marriage and it's all but over. Your pain is there for all to see and that grieves many to see. The hot blood of youth is spilled on the streets of your home town. Please be honest with your family? It was your cousin whose blood was spilled, but has not been the only blood spilled the prince may find mercy in his heart, for he could see your pain as others do. The sun has set on this your wedding day with the loss of your husband, all but dead to the world you know. You will not tell your parents the truth; don’t let your selfishness cloud your judgment sweet girl. Only a never ending night can come from your lies. Romeo is banished, he cannot come back he must leave and if you had been honest with your family you would go too, but have continued in your lies and now separation is the only outcome.

“Now by Saint Peter's Church and Peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful bride. I wonder at this haste; that I must wed ere he that should be husband comes to woo. I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear It shall be Romeo, whom you. I hate, Rather than Paris:--these are news indeed!” (Shakespeare 3.5.116-124)    

Julie girl, there are more than roses in life, flowers will wither and die, as has your purity has with mornings light as sweet as last night may have been, it can never come back. You have been honest with your parents— almost you tell them of your love for Romeo, but not that you have given yourself to him awakening desire long before its time. Lovely Rosaline did the same you know and he left her like blink of child’s eye, like a leaf on the wind. What is to say that he will not now leave you too? For the next pretty young thing, who gives him a sweet smile? Turn to God; turn to His great unending love. It is not like the love of a man, which uneasy with a guild or given without a care. Yes, you do not wish to hear this, you want pretty little words, saying everything will turn out for good. You gave your greatest gift away to a boy who may not care, and even if he does he must leave with mornings light for he is a murder. Please sweet Julie girl; get your relationship right with your true Abba, His arms are always open to you he can and will forgive you always, you are a part of His bride, can be clothed in white waiting for Him still. Ask for forgiveness it is always given to those, who ask the Father of all, sin is always forgiven.

“What's here? A cup, clos'd in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end: -- O churl! Drink all, and left no friendly drop to help me after?--I will kiss thy lips; Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative. Thy lips are warm!...Yea, noise?--Then I'll be brief.--O happy dagger! [Snatching Romeo's dagger.] This is thy sheath [stabs herself]; there rest, and let me die. (Shakespeare 5.3.161-170)          

Sweet Julie child, it is too late… to tell you it is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide is never the solution, would Romeo wish for you to die, no. You never think of the ones you leave behind. You were the rose that has loss its bloom that will never see to think you could all you have done. That now will never be, you will never hear the giggles of babies, or another sunset or sunrise, no light shall shine in your eyes every again. This was not the way to ask for peace that now your family now has done. You left this world for the next; you have not seen the pain you have caused your mothers' tears have not stopped, they are red and swollen as are your nurses. A mother should never entomb their children. Why sweet Julie did you do this? For a boy who killed himself too! For peace between your families! Because your parents said no to you! Why? Is all one can ask…Why?