The Notebook
So, I just finished watching The Notebook. This is the second time I've seen it, and something really struck me. The love between Noah and Allie is so rare, and I know some people will read this and say, "Of course, Steph, it's a movie." But that's not the point. Here's the point. I believe that we all have the opportunity to experience love the way Noah and Allie did. I just think we have the wrong idea about what love really is. It's not about the kind of jobs we have, how much money we make, where we live. Love is about who we are with, and the truth is that it's not always easy. To give our lives completely to someone is the hardest thing to do because it means that what we want doesn't matter. True love means that we are willing to sacrifice our time, our dreams, our comfort, and everything we've ever wished for. The only thing that matters is that the person we love is happy. When we're with that one person, everything that we gave up means nothing because that one person means everything. I believe that God gives us one person who completes us, who gives our lives meaning, who loves us as much in the bad times as in the good. We can say that we want love, but unless we're willing to live love, it will never work, because it's easier to walk away than to give up everything for someone else. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Noah says this to Allie (when she is about to go back to her fiance), "So, it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. And we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you. Forever. You and me. Everyday."
I believe there's that one person who we can never imagine our lives without because we know that we just will not feel complete. Some people know right away when they have found that person. For others, it takes years, and some of us would just rather take the easy way out.
This is my favorite line from the whole movie (Noah writes this in a letter to Allie):
"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, makes us reach for more, and plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds."