Love stories and Fairytales

Why are we so drawn to Love stories, romance novels, and movies where the "guy gets the girl"...?  

I do love a great love story!  

As a child, I didn't own a lot of books, but one I did have was Cinderella, pictured above.  Yes, I still have it!!  The copyright is 1954.  (it is a bit chewed on and falling apart...I think it was my dog that chewed it!)  I poured over that book as a young girl.  I still have every single page and picture memorized.

A few weeks before I got married, I was packing up my apartment and I came across the book.  I hadn't looked at it in years.  What struck me, was the title page.  I had no recollection of what I had done, but it was very clear what I must've been thinking.  As you can see in the picture below....I crossed out the title Cinderella and wrote my own name below it.  I'm guessing I was 8 or so.  Like many young girls, I wanted that story to come true for me, so much so, that I changed the title.  (After telling my daughter the story when she was 6, she crossed out my name and wrote hers...lol...like mother like daughter)

Just to be clear...I didn't live in a corner and I don't have stepsisters!  I was in love with the idea of meeting a Prince who would sweep me off my feet.  Don't all little girls want to be loved this way? 

 The guy searched the entire kingdom looking for his Princess, after all!

I showed the book and told the story to my husband-to-be and our guests at our rehearsal dinner the night before our wedding.  I had found my Prince with dreams of living happily ever after! 

 Talk about pressure....poor guy!

Most of the movies that I enjoy watching over and over are love stories.  There are the chic flick varieties, then the period pieces, but also a few in the action category with a love story intertwined.  

I've included one of my favorite movie clips from Pride and Prejudice.  At the 1:17 minute mark...you'll see and hear the moment that takes Elizabeth's breath away.  Isn't that what our hearts yearn for?  

We want a strong, courageous man to not only pursue us, but to come for us, take care of us, protect us....to love us well!  

It is those special little moments that we have to remember.  Those snippets of time, when our lover reached for us...pursued us...came to our rescue... these moments are what we must hold on to!

One of the problems with a Romance movie or book, is that the story usually ends when the guy and girl finally get together.  

What we don't get to see, is how they work out their love for each other in the mundane...routine of life. 

 We don't get to see them struggle to continue to love each other through trials and disappointments.  

The day to day is where true love is tested, lives and is strengthened.

The last clip I want to show is from the movie Young Victoria.  This movie does a pretty good job of showing some of the struggles after the young couple were married.  Albert leans over to protect Victoria when a madman attempts to assassinate her, and he is shot instead...this scene is during his recovery (they had had a huge argument the night before the shooting).

Love is an unconditional dying of self and putting the other and their best interest ahead of your own. 

This is where it gets messy and hard, sometimes.  

My desire is to love WELL...to love DEEPLY...and to FORGIVE often.

I am so thankful for my husband who has put up with me for 21+ years...who still loves to hold my hand...who thinks I'm just as beautiful without makeup...who wants to know what I'm thinking...who eats and enjoys everything I cook...who laughs at my jokes...and who only has eyes for me!  

More to Come....

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