LIFE AS IT IS

On a countless number of couples worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on unprecedented marital challenges. China, the country from where all of this began, experienced a spike in divorce after the country began to lift the lockdown. Having said that, there are also couples for whom the lockdown has opened new opportunities to bond like never before. But no matter what, this pandemic surely has pushed us into a situation we did not foresee. When two people live under one roof and see each other 24/7 month after month with no end in sight, conflicts are inevitable.   The Daily Star link “We are living in a highly anxiety-provoking environment,” said Nusrat Siraj, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) of Bangladeshi origin, who practices in New York City. “Social isolation, financial stress, loss of loved ones, and health concerns have all led to an increased marital conflict globally.”                  Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed ...

Marriage Story, starring Scarlett Johansson as an actress named Nicole, and Adam Driver as a theatre director named Charlie, was released digitally by Netflix on Dec. 6. We see in this critically-acclaimed film that a divorce does not mean that two parties must part ways, loathing each other for the rest of their lives. The respect the couple had for each other can remain, the good qualities in an ex-spouse can still be looked up to, and certain compromises can be gladly made for the good of the children involved.   The Daily Star It’s the subject of the film, the often-overlooked details of a divorce, and the sheer brilliance with which the protagonists executed their characters have made Marriage Story one of the best films of 2019. Directed by Noah Baumbach, the film shows how the dissolution of a marriage can lead two people, who were married for a decade, stop acting civilly with each other. The film also shows how expensive a divorce attorney can be, expen...