I agree.. Marriage is on a whole different Plane than a LTR....
As I discussed with someone...Yeah Im a Momma's boy... However, when it came to my relationship... my mother was always objective and remained out of the picture... Also, My parents knew.. what went on in my home was my business. They are to NEVER interfere in that part of my life.[/Quote]
That in bold is what is meant by leave and cleave IMO... It has nothing to do with loving and respecting your mother. You should always do that (both men and women) because they brought you into this world and cared for you when you couldn't care for yourself... BUT - your wife is your NOW help... Your mom was your help when you couldn't help yourself... My mom (God rest her precious soul) was quick to tell my brothers, that THEY were married to THEIR wives - not to her... Her raising days were DONE. Now she never stopped loving them or praying for them. But she did understand that there wasn't no way in Hades she was gonna let my grandmother, her mother - in - law, come in (uninvited) and try to overstep her bounds in my moma's house... And I'm the same way... I love my mother-in - law dearly... In fact we hold a lot of the same beliefs. She is sweet, kind and has a lot of wisdom from which I can draw. Howsinever...... She can't come in my house and tell me how to do NOTHING - UNLESS I ASK for the assistance. AND my husband need not get into a "heated fellowship" with me and then try to tell me what thus saith his moma. Because, point blank, she don't live here. She ain't washing his clothes, cooking his food, raising his children, cleaning his house, contributing financially to the family unit and providing all the "other" wifely duties.... And you know what? His moma feels the same exact way.
Also, to say all women are this way or that way is just flawed logic.... That would be the equivalent of saying all men are dogs.