“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 with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.”
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
These are really powerful words. At one point in my life, I heard this passage so much it lost its potency. Now, I savor every word.
Marriage is about two people loving each other. For one person to be fully patient with another – wow. I lose my patience with myself. To be kind – kindness is so easily glossed over these days and yet who isn’t happy, sometimes giddy when someone smiles at you? Love is not rude – ‘you had me at hello’. Love always protects, always trusts, always preserves – what else is always there except love?
They say when love comes your way, don’t let go. There are so many challenges in life, and to have a partner in crime, someone who will listen to all the crap, revel in every success, play with you at 2am, hold you when your entire world falls apart, why argue about who can marry who?
And when we talk about marriage, we are talking about two people wanting to dedicate the entire rest of their lives to live with another person – to love. My favorite saying is love always wins. In the end, all that really matters is the love that is shared. That’s what marriage is – two people saying I love this person so much, I can’t live without her, I can’t imagine my life without him. Love is so powerful people will move across the country to be with the one who makes their heart skip.
In my last post I mentioned my parents. Their love was visible to everyone around. My dad stopped smoking because of his love for my mom and he saw how his smoking hurt her. They created a beautiful loving environment to raise three children. Their love for each other was palpable to everyone who came in contact with them.
Their marriage, because it was an opposite sex marriage, was legally recognized by the state. So when my dad was in ICU and breathing his last breath, my mom was at his bedside. She held his hand and told him the stories of their travels. She stroked his hair as he transitioned from this life to the next. Who would want to deny their love, their strength, their commitment to each other?
Why would anyone want to try to stop love? Love is unstoppable and a few are trying to bring it to a grinding halt. Why? Life is challenging enough without trying to stop an unstoppable force.
It is important for us to tell our stories, why marriage is important. It does not matter if you are not in a relationship, tell the story of someone in your life when the bonds of love and the legality of marriage was important. A hospital story, a financial story, a family story. Tell your hopes and dreams for your future. And when you tell your story, make sure you listen to the other person’s story. Acknowledge it, honor it, respect it. And the in end, love will win, because it always does.
To all of you who are married, happy happy Valentine’s Day! Cherish the one in your arms. And to all the rest of us, a very Sweet Valentine’s Day! Cherish the ones in your life. Love actually is…all around.
Tags: love, marriage, Valentine's Day
