Have you ever wondered how many lives have been ruined or lost in the name of love? The answer is probably more than we can count or imagine.
Emotions play a vital part in the game of love as do misunderstandings. Just look what happened to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Just because of a bit of miscommunication they both died. Now, that is an instance where a mobile phone, Twitter or Snapchat would have come in handy.
Most love stories, especially the romance novel genre, include obstacles designed to trip up the couple. We would not want to make things too easy for them, would we? But, it would be considerate of the storyteller to consult the couple and get their take on how much trouble and heartache they must endure or are willing to endure before they get their happily ever after. This idea is not too far-fetched because authors will tell you that their characters often take over the story, and the author follows their lead.
The human heart can be both fragile and stout, but it all depends on the situation. In battle, whether it is on an actual battlefield or simply the daily battles of life, people do whatever it takes to protect the people they love or whatever they cherish the most.
It is always a painful discovery, but not all relationships are meant to be. In those touchy situations, some people have a hard time understanding and accepting the end of love. They turn out to be the folks we hear about on the news. The story tells of the unhappy party who lashes out at a loved one which often results in the violent death of the beloved person.
Since sarcasm is part of our DNA, we cannot avoid the temptation and thus point out that if they hope to win back the affections of their loved ones, their logic is completely flawed. After all, shooting someone or causing some other form of bodily harm is usually terminal. Even if the loved one survives, we tend to assume that the relationship is over.
You have to wonder about the thought process that precedes the violent action. Does the person think “I’ll show her” or “She’ll see how much I care and take me back.” Sorry, Dude, that will not happen. Relationships with corpses are not acceptable in most social circles.
“Stop in the name of love.” Is a cautionary tune which reminds the one about to inflict the pain of heartbreak to think it over. There must be thousands of songs about love found and love lost, and yet we puny humans do not seem to learn from our past mistakes.
We talked about what can happen when love goes wrong, how about a peek at long-lasting love? What about the love and marriages that span fifty, sixty or more years?
But wait! Do not jump to conclusions. When folks reach the sixty-year or seventy-year milestones, how many of them are still in love? Do they still enjoy connubial bliss? No matter where the truth lies, it is our hope that many couples remain in love forever.
As an experiment, open your newspaper to the anniversary page. Study the photographs of most anniversary couples and decide for yourself. Some have sweet expressions on their faces as they look into the camera, but what about the others. Far too many photographs show sour, almost angry looking couples who look like they have cattle prods against their posteriors forcing them to sit for their portrait. They do not look happy or in love.
So, what are some essential elements of lasting love?
Lovers communicate. Lovers trust each other. Lovers fill their lives with good humor and laughter. Lovers do not hold a “Get A Quick Divorce Card,” just in case they have to work at the relationship.
Love is work, but worth the effort.