Love is
Tomorrow is Valentines Day and pretty much everyone in the world has an opinion about it. Some love it and are hoping for romance and gifts. Some despise it and hope that every person that is currently in love will contract food poisoning and die a thousand deaths. Then there are all the people in the middle. From love to hate very few people feel neutral about it.
As any good bookworm would do. I imagined my love life would end up as a story somewhere between Austen and Shakespeare. Thankfully I made the classic mistake of marrying a human man instead of a story book character. I say thankfully because most of my favorite love stories also happened to be tragedies. Apparently even fictional men aren't perfect if they live past 25 or so.
No, I married a very imperfect man which is good because I'm not perfect either. But together we have learned a lot about what love is and isn't. A lot of what is marketed as love is what Jose calls bubble gum or infatuation. Every couple goes through it (if you didn't how did you get together?) Infatuation is like scotch tape while love is epoxy. Infatuation is largely unavoidable. But love doesn't exist without making a choice.
Jose and I had a fairly long bubble gum stage. We hit some bumps that made us think we knew what love was early on. But it took time to get there honestly. Giving up was considered by both of us (before and after we married) a few times but we are both stubborn so we never did. This is what we figured out.
Love isn't thinking someone is funny or cute or sweet.
Love isn't going nice places, preferring the company of someone or giving nice gifts.
Love isn't wanting to look or smell nice for someone and never letting them see you at your worst.
Love is getting up with the sick kid so your spouse can get some rest. Love is cleaning up a mess you had no part in. Love is sharing your life good bad and ugly. Love is seeing the absolute worst of someone and not giving up. Love forgives, love cares about your "stuff". Love prays for you when you can't find the words. Love works to improve and doesn't hold your failures over your head. Love fights instead of running away.
Our love story is not perfect. We haven't lived "happily ever after." But I thank God every day for what we have. My husband is my best friend and the love of my life. Having God in the center of our marriage has strengthened our bond. It has carried us through the hard times. And now we have the kind of bubble gum that never loses its flavor.
Happy Valentines Day Jose! I'm glad you found me.
As any good bookworm would do. I imagined my love life would end up as a story somewhere between Austen and Shakespeare. Thankfully I made the classic mistake of marrying a human man instead of a story book character. I say thankfully because most of my favorite love stories also happened to be tragedies. Apparently even fictional men aren't perfect if they live past 25 or so.
No, I married a very imperfect man which is good because I'm not perfect either. But together we have learned a lot about what love is and isn't. A lot of what is marketed as love is what Jose calls bubble gum or infatuation. Every couple goes through it (if you didn't how did you get together?) Infatuation is like scotch tape while love is epoxy. Infatuation is largely unavoidable. But love doesn't exist without making a choice.
Jose and I had a fairly long bubble gum stage. We hit some bumps that made us think we knew what love was early on. But it took time to get there honestly. Giving up was considered by both of us (before and after we married) a few times but we are both stubborn so we never did. This is what we figured out.
Love isn't thinking someone is funny or cute or sweet.
Love isn't going nice places, preferring the company of someone or giving nice gifts.
Love isn't wanting to look or smell nice for someone and never letting them see you at your worst.
Our love story is not perfect. We haven't lived "happily ever after." But I thank God every day for what we have. My husband is my best friend and the love of my life. Having God in the center of our marriage has strengthened our bond. It has carried us through the hard times. And now we have the kind of bubble gum that never loses its flavor.
Happy Valentines Day Jose! I'm glad you found me.
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| P.S. I think you're cute |
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