true love & lasting joy

I just read a wonderful article (here!) by Georgia from Pseudooctopus and thought I'd pass it along to you. It concerns good relationships, finding love, and especially taking your time and going easy on yourself. It is so poignant and definitely worth reading even if you've already found The One.

Joy from thewheatfield

Georgia's article got me thinking about love -- true love -- and what a complex thing it is. It requires constant tending and effort from both parties in order for it to survive and grow. It is hard, harder than I ever imagined, requiring faith and trust, and it conjures up a multitude of emotions I didn't even know were possible to feel in such quick succession. But it is also the most rewarding, satisfying and inspiring thing I know of and have ever experienced.

I also didn't fully understand the concept of Joy until I fell in love with and married my husband and then had our son. For me, Joy is recognizing and experiencing happiness in spite of pain and difficult life situations; it is identifying the wonderful blessings in our lives and feeling an unexplainable elation because of them, even though at the same time we may have many doubts about the future. I know I am on the right track in my life when I feel Joy, and the wonderful thing about it is that everything doesn't have to be "perfect" in order for it to be present. Money, status and power don't matter; Joy isn't dependent upon those things. What matters is what is going on inside of us, how hard we're trying to maintain and cultivate the love and joy we already have, and how willing we are to go through the bad along with the good for those we love.

I think my favorite part of Georgia's article is when she stresses the importance of falling in love with someone who you're willing to face the everyday and not-so-spectacular with. Sometimes we all need reminded that it's not always going to be sunshine and daffodils :) It also reminded me of a wonderful snippet from the 1968 version of Yours, Mine and Ours in which Frank (Henry Fonda) talks with the eldest daughter about what true love really is. Watch it here.

I truly hope you'll check out Georgia's article; it's definitely worth reading and she has a fantastic blog. I also hope that whatever life situations you are in, love and joy are ever-present and lasting. Have a wonderful night ~ Mary