To love, takes courage..........

Love, this almost impossible concept to define adequately, 

.......changes, although the essence, if we so chose,

 may stay the same.

Years have passed, but in his eyes she is still the same

beautiful young woman with the Mona-Lisa smile, 

the long dark hair, and the big blue eyes. 

He knows that the years have passed and that they are

now ''old people'', but in his minds eye, they are still

the same. 

He still loves her and he is pretty sure that she still loves him,

but as their minds and bodies inevitably are forced to

succumb to the aging process, they find themselves struggling.

Struggling to understand each others needs, as the aging process

 is affecting them in different ways.

She still cares about the way she looks and what she wares,

comfort-ability and easy access, by this he swears.

She still likes having friends over for a meal and a chat,

he prefers his own company, quiet contemplation and such as that.

She enjoys gentle walks on the waters edge or in the park,

he prefers his armchair, watching others being active from afar.

She likes a bit of ''gossip''', you know, who did what and where?,

he prefers to Google, watch the latest News from ''over there''.

More than sixty years of marriage, yet still together,

sharing ups and downs, facing most kinds of ''weathers''.

Still sleeping side by side, close together at each eventide,

what a marvelous blessing to have been given, what a marvelous life.

**************

In an age when it is easy to find a new partner

by ''swiping right''  (or is it left? I forget) or

texting secret messages for secret ''rendezvous'',

is it possible that we have acquired a somewhat

less loving attitude or stance towards love itself?

I'll finish this post with my own definition of love:

''It seems to me that we love someone when we care

more about the other as she/he is, rather than who we

think they should become; when we reveal ourselves honestly 

and vulnerably, just as we offer the same for the other.

We love someone when we act with patience, resilience,

compassion, forgiveness, attention and with a whole-

hearted commitment to their well-being.

Perhaps we ''fall'' in love,

but we chose to stay with love.''

ps: the above image is made with acrylic on paper