Valentines day through different eyes
Today is Valentines day. A day for lovers. Growing up I always watch Gramps tease grams with silly things and smile at her then kiss her and say love ye baby, she was his in every way and they both rejoiced in it. For 68 valentines days I imagine the ritual was similar, though not the same every year. Always such a cute day. Such a cute love. But then what does one do when that is over? When it's the first valentines after being someone's for that long. It is just so rough right now for her. Everything is the "first" and I think she's still afraid of the changes that come from not having gramps with her. I came out of talking with her for a long time yesterday to look at my living room and think of all the blessings and love I have. How amazing would it be to even have a relationship that was that long where the person still saw you as their bride, I just feel for her. It breaks my heart and makes me think of how beautiful all love is.
My Gramp's gift to Grams this valentines day is every year of memories every kiss every hand hold ever moment. Hers to him is her devotion. Her loving her baby even though he's no longer with her. Her devotion to go from 6 am to 8pm every single day he was in the hospital good or bad and sit by him. Her devotion to his stuff now that he's gone. Her devotion to making sure we remember every good thing about him. This is what REAL fairytale love looks like. This is what true devotion is and I am so privileged to have had such a beautiful couple to model REAL love to me.
This isn't to say they didn't have their faults, Grams had some hormonal issues that made her go beyond normal realms of hormonal crazy, Gramps was a drunk for a while and there are things he was the first to say he was not proud of that he had done but their grace and love for each other made it past all that. They fought for it and in the end they had their bride and groom every day by their side. To have such a love is the stuff of legends but that is the love that I am thinking of this valentines. When I say I believe in the power of Love it is because I have seen it modeled in the form of 68 years of marriage and I believe that it is what each of us can have with the right person.
My Gramp's gift to Grams this valentines day is every year of memories every kiss every hand hold ever moment. Hers to him is her devotion. Her loving her baby even though he's no longer with her. Her devotion to go from 6 am to 8pm every single day he was in the hospital good or bad and sit by him. Her devotion to his stuff now that he's gone. Her devotion to making sure we remember every good thing about him. This is what REAL fairytale love looks like. This is what true devotion is and I am so privileged to have had such a beautiful couple to model REAL love to me.
This isn't to say they didn't have their faults, Grams had some hormonal issues that made her go beyond normal realms of hormonal crazy, Gramps was a drunk for a while and there are things he was the first to say he was not proud of that he had done but their grace and love for each other made it past all that. They fought for it and in the end they had their bride and groom every day by their side. To have such a love is the stuff of legends but that is the love that I am thinking of this valentines. When I say I believe in the power of Love it is because I have seen it modeled in the form of 68 years of marriage and I believe that it is what each of us can have with the right person.