There is an old story about a bird who was caught in a pile of dung and began singing, her singing was heard by a cat or a fox who quickly came along and gobbled her up, so sad. The moral of that story is simple- sometimes it is best to just keep your mouth shut.

We often find ourselves involved or caught up in situations that are bigger than we could handle. 

There are moments in our life when it is just best for us to not ‘blow our cover’.

(Internet image)

If by chance you are involved in what is called a ‘sham marriage’ keeping quiet about it is one of the best things you could do for yourself. Repeatedly posting on Facebook about being married is not the way the way to go, especially if your posts do not include the ‘husband’. Stealing the ‘husband’s’ Facebook photos to announce your ‘marriage’ does not help the situation either and certainly does not add to making your illegal marriage look like a legitimate one. Instead try posting photos of the two of you on vacation, at dinner, at family events, at the children’s graduation or create some children…all of these are what the USCIS considers. Talk about your joint bank accounts, obviously you won’t divulge the pin number, but my point is you should do and post about ‘couple things’, a ‘lone ranger’ could quicker be called out for fraud.

One of the biggest don’ts however would be to never ever take it upon yourself to inform your ‘husband’s’ friends (which might include ex-girlfriends or an ex-wife), relatives, employers about the ‘marriage’. Give your ‘husband’ the chance to do it himself it might be that he is trying to keep you and himself out of trouble, after all to everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven.

So what is possibly the biggest do?

Do think of ways to make the marriage work. Let me state here that I am not encouraging anyone to try to defraud the US government. Marriage is a beautiful thing that should be ‘entered into’ because two persons love each other it should never be used as a tool to defraud someone or an institution, people should never be coerced into marriage. However, if you are in any marriage your main target should be to maximise the benefits of the union rather than to set yourself up for probing.

Don’t be like the foolish little bird.