The Best of Times...

Love is Transcendent. Otherworldly. Enduring. Everlasting.

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." ― Dr. Seuss

To have and to hold; to be held by another and wholly accepted is a rarified space to be in. I'm sure you will agree, having a significant other by your side is the most exuberant feeling a man (or woman) can experience in their lifetime. Regarding love, most folks often say (by the way, I despise cliches) that she finds you when you least expect it. Romance is a funny gal; she flirts with chance and dances with surprise. Some couples come together for their shared characteristics and similarities. Other pairings attract like magnets with intense polarities because of diverging histories and personality differences. Though the flavors may be varied, the critical ingredients often remain intact: patience, kindness, fidelity, and unity. These components (along with a dash of curiosity) forge an unseen tether—the spiritual, mental, and sexual bond which is as old as time itself.

Love

"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy, or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are." - Bob Marley

Love is Greater

The Worst of Times

Adapt or Die. Growth is Transcendent. Live. Love. Learn.

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone." - Henrik Ibsen

There is a trade-off rarely mentioned in Disney films. A truth often found slightly beyond the raging hormones of adolescence: Love hurts.

It hurts deep. It hurts bad. Lost love is an enduring burn because it doesn't play out the way you would have wanted. Fate can be a fickle mistress. When things were good? They were great! When they are abysmal? That's a whole different story. Have you ever noticed that Disney deliberately fades The Little Mermaid out before her first argument with Prince Charming can hit the screen? Yeah. Movies... am I right? You know how it goes. In that fake, 2D world, they all live "Happily Ever After." In our 3D reality, there IS a "thingamabob" you will struggle to comprehend, and it's called "passive-aggressiveness."

Once the honeymoon phase wears off, those cute smiles and coy winks give way to rolled eyes and defiant glances. Then (months later), when enough is enough, and you're both nearing the expiration date? Someone whips out an intractable statement, feelings are severely damaged, and the writing magically appears on the wall. In time, the perfect insta-couple will split up, you will break down, and you both simultaneously play the roles of victor and victim to your poor friends (while swiping left and right furiously at 2am). This part really, really sucks.

Unfortunately, we aren't finished. What comes next? Lonely nights. A good cry. Solitude. Extended time alone.

It isn't easy going from a duet to a solo, but it is necessary for the trade-off to lock-in. At this point, you may be wondering, "what is this trade-off you keep mentioning, AMAS?" Oh, my bad. The trade-off is personal growth. Inner strength. Wisdom (see Eccl 1:18).

With your love lost, life may seem a bit bland...flavorless, but it's only temporary. I assure you, this is the time for your personal metamorphosis. To gain. To learn. To grow.

"The best thing for being sad...is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then---to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things there are to learn." - T.H. White, The Once and Future King