Romance

Ah, romance. Many women dream of it. Men scorn the very idea of reading about it. Kids gag at the thought of it. But what exactly is it?

If you stopped the next twenty people--or even a hundred--on the street and asked them to define romance, the answers would number as many as the participants. Everyone has a hazy idea of what romance is (or isn't), but there doesn't seem to be an agreed upon definition.

Is it kissing? Ewwww, say the little kids. Is it sex? A relationship? Lighted candles, flowers and perfume? How do we know romance when we find it?

And where do we go in search of it? Do we find it in a bar? Or church? Or in the midst of war and chaos? How do we know for sure we've found true romance instead of a one night stand?

Is longevity the test? What about the second-time-arounds?

I think we spend so much time and effort dreaming about romance that we miss the real thing. Maybe we even lose out on our best opportunity because we're chasing attractiveness or wealth or sex. Romance touches the heart. All that other stuff is fluffy icing on the cake.

Without love, there is no romance. It's just sugar and fat...and maybe a little food coloring and artificial flavor.

Courage and Integrity

"Each paper has a description of love, courage, and faith...a TRUE gift today. I love my girls more than life, I am so proud of their courage, I am blessed with their love. Forever their mommy"

My daughter posted the picture and text on her Facebook on Mother's Day. They're going through some really bad stuff right now. When things are bad, some people give up or turn nasty or rebel. 

Others shine.

So proud of my daughters, daughter-in-law and granddaughters. They are women of integrity and courage. All my blessings and prayers for them this week. Life is hard.

anny 

I Love You

"I love you." Three words, the words we wait for the hero to say to the heroine in every romance. The same words we say to our children, our parents, our siblings. Perhaps that is why they feel...inadequate.

Sonnets and songs have been written about love. Paintings and graphics attempt to portray it. But the truth is, our best efforts are less, much less than the whole of what we feel. Nothing encompasses all the emotions that comprise that most elusive of feelings--love.

One of the problems is we've devalued of the word love. We 'love' our new shoes. We 'love' our new car. We 'love' movies, television shows, celebrities, our haircut, books, chocolate, a comfortable bed, and hot coffee in the morning. Small wonder then that we have nothing left to express how we feel when we hold our child, when we embrace our parents or when we touch our mate.

As writers we struggle to convey the overwhelming feelings our characters develop, frequently falling back on the physical when all else fails. Sex is not love, though it can be an aspect between lovers. How to describe our hero's love?

Often we demonstrate it by allowing the hero to rescue the heroine which may leave the reader feeling shortchanged. Riding to the rescue is not love, either.

Each time I speak to my children and grandchildren on the phone I say, "I love you." Every single time it seems insufficient and lacking. Is that because it's via electronic media? I don't know. Somehow without the human touch, it feels like less.

When I speak to my parents across the wide distance that separates us, I say, "I love you." Can they feel how I wish I was close enough to hold them?

"I love you."

anny  

Friendship Forever

I have several friends going through some terribly tough times right now. There are a lot of people going through bad times all over the world so I expect all of you have friends in the same types of situations. They need help or sometimes just a listening ear. Yet, they don't call or e-mail or post it on their blog.

Instead, this is what they say... I didn't want to bother anyone.

Here's the deal. In friendship, there is no bothering. Otherwise you wouldn't be friends, you know? Some people think that love is God's greatest gift. I think that's not quite right. I think friendship is his greatest gift. And if we're fortunate it turns into love--whether platonic or not.

I'm not talking about self-centered friendship here where you're only friends for what one of you can gain from the other. I'm talking about friendship where you know the other person well enough to tell them they're a pain in the ass. It's the kind of friendship where you can tell them their favorite dress is the ugliest piece of fabric on earth. Or that hair color makes them look like a hooker on main street.

When you have that kind of friendship, their pain is your pain and their sorrow is your sorrow. Inconvenience isn't even a word in your vocabulary because you would do whatever you could to smooth their path.

Huh. That sounds an awful lot like love.

anny

PS: Several of my friends have had birthdays in the last few weeks! So Happy Birthday to Jane, Cindy, and Rita! Many, many more!

What is Love?

LOVE is a word that's thrown around a lot. "I love you," we say to our children, spouse, or significant other. "I love you," we say to our parents...maybe our siblings. But what does love mean?

For some it means, "I want sex."

For others it means, "I want whatever I can get from you."

For a few it means, "How can I make your life better?"

I've always thought that St. Paul's definition was unbeatable. It covers all bases, all creeds, all colors, all circumstances. If everyone lived by the true definition of love, there would be no wars, no arguments, no evil. It is so simple that it's difficult. Here is the definition of true love.

LOVE is patient.

LOVE is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

LOVE does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Anny

Please don't forget to stop by Kelly's blog at www.kkirch.blogspot.com for her quote of the week and then peek in on Amarinda at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com for her words of wisdom on Aussie life. Have a nice Sunday.