Death of a Father, Birth of a Husband: Share Your Thoughts

This past March, a very excited Ronald Cummings married his seventeen year old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, after his five year old daughter was declared missing. Despite the still current attempts by everyone else close to them to find his daughter, Ronald and Misty made time for a wedding, a honeymoon and a television interview on the Today show. Then this month, after losing his daughter to a tragic accident involving strangulation and brain damage, Mike Tyson married his girlfriend in Nevada with no guests present other than a photographer who had to sign as a witness twice on his marriage certificate.

These are two popular examples of commitment after loss. But what drives a man to the alter specifically after the loss of a child? Is it loneliness? Depression? An ignorance is bliss situation? Or do the men involve go through some sort of epiphany where they realize they don’t know what they have until it’s gone so they better hang onto what they have left for dear life?

As of right now, Tyson himself hasn’t commented on the marriage but Ronald Cummings’ new wife had no problem shooting back at the media backlash. “”Everybody is probably going to take this marriage thing the wrong way,” Croslin told WJXT. “This is what Haleigh wanted. She has always talked about it, and even if she’s not with us, she is still with us.” Misty was the last person to see her newlywed hubby’s daughter while she babysat.

A child’s death can be a hard void to fill, especially when you don’t know if you’re daughter’s coming back. Tyson’s won’t be but Cummings’ could, there’s always hope. Is a commitment that is meant to be lifelong appropriate so soon after a loss? Does the happiness last like a diesel engine or is it like a shot of caffeine, a long period of hype followed by what could be a terrible case of crashing and burning.

Whatever it is, I hope the best for both couples and hope Cummings’ daughter makes an eventual safe return.

What do you think?