Edward and Bella

In our world we are surrounded by amazing love stories, in movies and on tv, in songs. We are told to go for it, to leap for love. We are told that it's ok to fall in love in a week, to get married in a month. And while I'm no one to judge, I personally don't believe in love at first sight, I believe in "falling in love at first sight" which I think is a totally different thing. Someone on facebook said is nicely the other day... "love is what is left over after falling in love goes away." So very true and so very necessary. Love is what you acquire over the course of time, it's the feeling after 4 years with that person, it's still missing them, still wanting them.

I don't believe that love is found in a few months, or discovered in a week. I don't believe that you can give forever to someone that quickly, it's not fair to either person. I don't believe that love can just happen, while that's part of it, it's not the entire thing. Love is something you work toward, that makes you want to work for it, that you have to mature, and grow in it. Love does not mean happiness all the time, it means being happy and being upset, it means hurting and being loved, it means fighting and smiling, crying and laughing. That's life.

So when I look to the greatest love stories of my time, I don't look at Khloe Kardashian married after a month, or Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. I look to Edward and Bella, to Carrie and Mr. Big. I look to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, I look to Charlotte and Harry, I look to Rufus and Lily and Marissa and Ryan. These are love stories that took time to develop, love stories to admire, love stories that took the time to fall in love and then afterwards... to just love.

And when I'm really feeling lonely and needing a reassuring love story, I take out Edward and Bella and read with them for a bit. A love story that transcends our culture today and in them... I find faith, and hope and love always.