Love Story

Yes, a love story on Valentine’s Day. So many fairy tales with beautiful ladies who found their prince on a white horse that swooped them off their feet. Every story began “Once upon a time…” and ended “Lived happily ever after.” Sometimes there was a wretched witch who hovered in the story, trying to make the story “Lived unhappily ever after.”

How many times I visited the Clinton Public Library. The more tattered the book the better the story. I searched for books that looked worn. Flipping through a few pages, counting a plethora of quotation marks were the guidelines of my self-imposed fairy-tale-critique.

Real life intervened. Yes, he is handsome, yes, he had a horse – a grey-blue horse. But there the fairy tale ended and real life began – just three months after meeting my prince. The wedding took place on February 1^st, 1952. The honeymoon to Galveston began the learning to know each other. After two weeks of marriage, I proclaimed my love in a letter to Mom. Her response had chuckles between the lines as she said to wait and see our love grow. Mom is always right!

Although the prince on the white horse cherished his princess, I learned that my prince had feelings, dreams and desires. We soon learned to meld our dreams and desires and by giving, we both received joy for 60 years, and counting…

When our twin boys arrived we were not ready for the heartache when little Donnie, the second baby was still-born. As I lay in the hospital room, my Prince bought a set of baby clothes for Donnie. My Prince, my Dad and my Father-in-law buried Donnie in a graveside service. Our first born son was even more precious to us. In rapid succession two brothers were added, and then a little girl. Our family was completed within four years.

None of the heroines in fairy tales that I read about changed as many diapers or fed as many children as I did during those early years. It was through the constant help and encouragement from my Prince that I survived and enjoyed motherhood. Our children and their spouses continue to be the crowning blessings of our lives. Each new grandchild and each new great grandchild adds to our blessings and a cause for celebration!

As I write, it is as if my thoughts are printed on pages that I turn in my mind. Added to the thoughts are the snapshots of memories of our children and our family. Our five year old daughter making her lunch when she came home from kindergarten. I can see her spreading peanut butter and grape jelly, mangling the bread. Then she would pat the sandwich in an attempt to comfort the mangled-bread.

Then the third son reading the encyclopedia, remembering every word. He climbed up the tree hiding from the world at the Fort Dodge Road house. This gentle third son was shunted from brother to brother since there were just two boy’s bedrooms. He checked out the empty light bulb socket with a skate key to see what would happen. He always wanted to ‘know’.

The second son loved to ride Burger, the shetland pony who ate lemon drops and cracker jacks, climb a ladder and ‘fly’ without the benefit of a cape. He wrote stories and enjoyed the laughter of his classmates. A quiet boy who observed the world and thought deeply.

The first born son gave us such joy. When his brother was born, he brought him a glass of water because Grandma said the baby was thirsty. He has always been compassionate and caring. He grew up a learner of languages,..from ham radio – to Esperanto – to French – to programming languages and a smattering of German and Persian.

“I love you” comes in many languages – French – Je t’aime, Spanish – Te Amo, Te Qiero, German – Ich Liebe Dich, Italian – Ti amo, Sioux – Techihhila, Tagalog – Iniibig kita, Yiddish – Ikh hob dikh lieb, Mandarin Chinese – wǒ ài nǐ. Words without the hug, a loving touch or meeting of needs mean nothing. A hand-written note affirming love, a gift of memory for my computer, flowers for no reason – these spell “I love you.”

A Fairy Tale doesn’t prepare a person for real down-to-earth living and loving. Love takes many forms and avenues. Where does love come from? Real love comes from the heart. Love isn’t a recipe to follow to have a final glorious love to serve on a platter. It is an attitude of the heart and mind of serving and giving. There isn’t a love pill to take, but it is love that is given.

Love is a process that contains thanksgiving, compassion, forgiveness sacrifice, goodness, patience, and self-control. A person is incapable of experiencing love in a vacuum. There must be a relationship, first with God, the vertical strength-giver. And second, horizontal relationships with those around us. What is the result of love-living? Joy. That elusive quality everyone searches for, but so difficult to find.

The desire for one’s rights, the phrase, “it’s not fair!”, indicate a lack of love. Conforming to culture, corruption or politically correct outlook erases joy and lessens the ability to love. There is only one source for love-living. Our Lord God…

Love is a two-way street. Giving love means receiving love. Where does love come from?

In Psalms 36:5-10 – Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.Continue your love to those who know you,your righteousness to the upright in heart.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to my Prince!”