Happy Valentine's Day 2024 to my Love

 

When I googled the word “love” for inspirational quotes about love to use on a card to my wife for Valentine’s Day, I found so many that It was evident that a great number of the people who wrote the pithy quotes never truly experienced a fulfilling love.  For the most part, they described “feelings” and “emotions” and “romance”.   Love certainly contains those things.  But true love goes beyond romance and feelings and emotions. True love is indescribable. True love must be lived.  You don’t think about it, you just do it.

This indescribable love is the love I have for my wife.

In October we will celebrate 50 years of marriage.  We’ve never had to “work” at our love.  It just exists.  You hear stories of people who say, “Our love grows every day”, or “We work hard to keep our love this strong.”  I believe God has blessed us in this regard, because my love for Marilyn is just as strong (if not stronger) today as it was when I proposed to her, and it’s never been an effort for me to be in love or to stay in love with her. 

As I get older, I’m reflecting on my life a lot more.  I often think of my early childhood experiences with my parents, my siblings, my friends, and my extended family members.  Some may find this strange, but in most of these memories, whether the happy memories or sad, Marilyn is with me—supporting me, encouraging me, consoling me, loving me—but I didn’t meet her until I was 19 years old!  That.  That’s love.

I love you, Marilyn.  I have always loved you.  I will always love you.

Happy Valentine's Day.

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