Crazy Stupid Love

Thomas and I saw this movie the other day:

Crazy Stupid Love.

It's really a good movie.

Not what either of us were expecting, but really good!

And afterwards, it left me thinking...

...in fact, it left me thinking so much, that on the ride home, I was just staring out the window.

Thomas asked what was on my mind, and we ended up having a great conversation.

About love.

People always say love is so complicated.

That its messy.

But, in my opinion, love is not complicated at all.

Love is rather quite simple.

I think the scriptures say it best:

"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 perseveres."

(In the King James Version of the Bible, love is 'charity' and charity is the 'pure love of Christ.')

Rather put: love is simple.

It follows the simplest rules, plays no tricky games.

It has no secrets, no catches.

It is simply love.

But what makes considered by many to be "complicated," in my opinion, is that it is hard.

I think when people think of love, they think of perfection, of bliss.

People want to believe in fairy tales.

People want their happily ever after.

But happily ever afters don't come without mountains to climb.

Love is wonderful, it is bliss.

But with every ying, there's a yang.

You have to work to preserve love, to keep love strong.

You have to work to overcome hurdles that get thrown at love.

But perhaps what has the biggest impact on love being as hard as it can be, is the fact that love takes two people.

Love, to be truly enjoyed, needs to be reciprocated.

Love needs to be given and received.

Unrequited love is tormenting.

It is heartbreaking.

When one partner falters and stops working towards love in the relationship,

Love begins to falter with the other partner.
You have to continuously work towards love,
Always showing your partner (and other loved ones in your life) that you love them.
Never stop showing it.
No matter how you show it.
Whether it's doing acts of kindness,
(Such as doing the dishes for your spouse without being asked, or cleaning the house)
or whether it's loving gestures,
(Small kisses on the cheek, holding their hand in the car)
or whether it's grand gestures,
(Maybe buying flowers, or chocolates, or taking them out on a romantic getaway)
or whether it's words of kindness,
(Saying "I love you," telling them they're beautiful/handsome)
You can never show love too much,
and you can never show love in the wrong way.
But you can show too little.
You can grow to forget the importance of [showing] your love.
And maybe that's why people get the notion that it's complicated.
But love is not complicated at all.
Love is simply {L.O.V.E.}.