One night a guy and a girl were driving home from the movies. The boy
sensed there was something wrong because of the painful silence they
shared between them that night. The girl then asked the boy to pull over
because she wanted to talk. She told him that her feelings had changed
& that it was time to move on.
A silent tear slid down his cheek as he slowly reached into his pocket & passed her a folded note.
At that moment, a drunk driver was speeding down that very same street.
He swerved right into the drivers seat, killing the boy. Miraculously,
the girl survived. Remembering the note, she pulled it out & read
it. "Without your love, I would die."
FROM: Short Romantic Love Stories
I like love stories and that is what this blog is all about. "We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon. But that doesn't diminish its value. Because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
‘Friends with benefits’ relationships don’t work out
By Gabie Bacques
Stop sneaking into the closet with your band buddies. You might end up dead. Or worse — pregnant.
Contrary to how Hollywood may portray "friends with benefits," these glamorous relationships just don't work out. In fact, they fail miserably.
Whether it starts as an agreement or results from a rebound, the pattern's typically the same. Two people hook up and decide it was obviously fun and exciting, and they want it to be more than a one night stand. Now, at this point some people agree to not wanting anything more than physical interactions, or they agree to stay friends while hooking up.
This proves to be problematic as time goes on because it never goes according to this carefree plan. Hang-outs and hook-ups are more frequent, and a relationship begins to form without a little thing called commitment.
From here, it becomes apparent that communication can be a destructive force. Someone wants a relationship or expects exclusivity while the other increases distance to avoid those looming feelings, and both are afraid to talk about it. Besides, any relationship spawning from such shallow terms is basically doomed from the start.
Often, at least one of the people involved are scared of being alone. They maintain this destructive, empty cycle of a relationship because, for some reason, they think not having that connection will be so devastatingly lonely they refuse to end it. In the meantime, they are delaying the inevitable, strengthening emotional attachments and ending up far more damaged from someone they allegedly didn't have feelings for.
I'm simply tired of people being upset over this unnecessary drama created by their own self-indulgent habits.
It starts out fun, and somehow ends up in heartbreak. I understand this is college and for some reason people think they need to sleep around to make the most of it, but I really don't see the point in causing more stress. According to the College Student Journal, a little more than half of college students are involved in an uncommitted partnership. Receiving a temporary boost of self-esteem, women tend to seek the friendship, while men reap the benefits.
It may be convenient, but the consequences are not.
It's pretty simple. If two people are spending time being intimate, or even just having sex, something more is going to come of that — it's in our nature. When we produce oxytocin from sexual activity, it generates feelings of security and comfort. The more often two individuals spend producing this hormone together, the more secure and comfortable they feel with each other.
It's becoming so common in our culture to say sex is just something people do and it doesn't have any more depth than that. This is probably true for very few individuals.
However, we need to stop trying to pretend we all want sex and nothing more, because that's not true. We want to be loved, cared for and respected, and anyone who disagrees is selling themselves short.
The realistic consequences of casual sex are an entirely different topic for discussion, but I'm honestly over this trend of beneficial friends. It might be fun for a little while, but then it's just exhausting, difficult and not worth the trouble.
While my personal moral instincts go against using someone like an aspiring actress, I know most people don't feel the same way at this point in their lives. If you do insist on an unconventional relationship, take it like a champ and quit whining to your friends about it.
Stop sneaking into the closet with your band buddies. You might end up dead. Or worse — pregnant.
Contrary to how Hollywood may portray "friends with benefits," these glamorous relationships just don't work out. In fact, they fail miserably.
Whether it starts as an agreement or results from a rebound, the pattern's typically the same. Two people hook up and decide it was obviously fun and exciting, and they want it to be more than a one night stand. Now, at this point some people agree to not wanting anything more than physical interactions, or they agree to stay friends while hooking up.
This proves to be problematic as time goes on because it never goes according to this carefree plan. Hang-outs and hook-ups are more frequent, and a relationship begins to form without a little thing called commitment.
From here, it becomes apparent that communication can be a destructive force. Someone wants a relationship or expects exclusivity while the other increases distance to avoid those looming feelings, and both are afraid to talk about it. Besides, any relationship spawning from such shallow terms is basically doomed from the start.
Often, at least one of the people involved are scared of being alone. They maintain this destructive, empty cycle of a relationship because, for some reason, they think not having that connection will be so devastatingly lonely they refuse to end it. In the meantime, they are delaying the inevitable, strengthening emotional attachments and ending up far more damaged from someone they allegedly didn't have feelings for.
I'm simply tired of people being upset over this unnecessary drama created by their own self-indulgent habits.
It starts out fun, and somehow ends up in heartbreak. I understand this is college and for some reason people think they need to sleep around to make the most of it, but I really don't see the point in causing more stress. According to the College Student Journal, a little more than half of college students are involved in an uncommitted partnership. Receiving a temporary boost of self-esteem, women tend to seek the friendship, while men reap the benefits.
It may be convenient, but the consequences are not.
It's pretty simple. If two people are spending time being intimate, or even just having sex, something more is going to come of that — it's in our nature. When we produce oxytocin from sexual activity, it generates feelings of security and comfort. The more often two individuals spend producing this hormone together, the more secure and comfortable they feel with each other.
It's becoming so common in our culture to say sex is just something people do and it doesn't have any more depth than that. This is probably true for very few individuals.
However, we need to stop trying to pretend we all want sex and nothing more, because that's not true. We want to be loved, cared for and respected, and anyone who disagrees is selling themselves short.
The realistic consequences of casual sex are an entirely different topic for discussion, but I'm honestly over this trend of beneficial friends. It might be fun for a little while, but then it's just exhausting, difficult and not worth the trouble.
While my personal moral instincts go against using someone like an aspiring actress, I know most people don't feel the same way at this point in their lives. If you do insist on an unconventional relationship, take it like a champ and quit whining to your friends about it.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Visit From St. Nicholas
by Clement Clarke Moore
was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
he children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
hen out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
he moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
ith a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
ow, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
nd then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
e was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
is eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
he stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
e was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
e spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
e sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Gift of the Magi
"The Gift of the Magi" is a nice story to read during the Christmas Season.
The Young’s are very poor; a point that the narrator quickly establishes by describing the shabby estate of their apartment and by the mention of a salary that has shrunken from $30 a week to $20 a week. Della has humiliated herself by haggling at the shops and managed to scrimp away 60 cents of the $1.87 in pennies.
Della has a fit of self-pity as she tries to determine how to buy Jim a worthy gift when suddenly she jumps up and views herself in the pier glass. She lets down her glorious hair; hair that is the pride and joy of both Della and Jim. According to the narrator, Della and Jim have two possessions that are the treasures of the household, Della’s hair and Jim’s watch, which is an inheritance from his grandfather. The narrator underscores the value of these treasures by saying that King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba would be jealous of them despite their own immense wealth.
Read O'Henry's original work at Project Gutenberg.
Monday, December 12, 2011
This is what love is all about
by Safiyya
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30AM, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 AM.
As a nurse, I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his stitches and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The elderly gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's as we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be and will not be.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything The Map of Luxury; they just make the best of everything they have.
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30AM, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 AM.
As a nurse, I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his stitches and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The elderly gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's as we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be and will not be.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything The Map of Luxury; they just make the best of everything they have.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Elderly couple’s love story 65 years long
by Samantha House
The bride and groom stand side by side before a minister, hands entwined. His hand blankets her tiny hand entirely, keeping it warm. She smiles radiantly, stealing occasional glances at her groom. He stands straight and proud, never wavering from his bride’s side.
Elvis Presley croons “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in the background to set the mood for their nuptials. From the looks on Mavis Walczyk and Ralph Black’s face, it’s easy to see the two are in love.
But Walczyk and Black’s romance is no fledgling flame. Their love story is 65 years in the making.
Black said his and Walczyk’s first encounter stretches back to when she was 8 and he was 11. She was simply his friend’s kid sister then, a friendly figure in a house he loved being in.
“We grew up together,” Black, now 86, explained. “I really grew up in their home as much as in my own.”
Walczyk, née Barber, belongs to one of Weedsport’s most well-known families. Ernie Barber, Walczyk’s father, opened Barber Welding with his brother in the village more than half a century ago. Over 58 years later, the family welding company still calls Weedsport home.
Black looked up to Walczyk’s father and spent a great deal of his childhood in the Barber home. He said he and Walczyk often passed central New York’s long winters twirling around frozen ponds.
“I think we skated our life away,” he remembers with a smile.
Then World War II ravaged the world, inspiring a 17-year-old Black to use his skills as a pilot to defend his country. After being officially enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 18, Black flew planes until the war’s conclusion.
When he returned home, the childhood acquaintances became more than friends. Walczyk said she and Black “went together” for five years. Black even bought his sweetheart a ring.
However, it seemed their union, for a time, was not to be.
As a young nursing student living in Auburn, Walczyk’s heart was captured by the suave Louis Walczyk.
“He swept Mavis off her feet because Ralph was slow on the trigger,” Kathleen Hultz, Walczyk’s eldest daughter, said.
And so the former sweethearts married other people. Walczyk had nine children, and Black had four.
“They had a nice marriage, and so did I,” Black said.
When Walczyk was widowed in 2008, Black broke their decades of silence by being the first person to send a sympathy card. Four months after Louis Walczyk’s death, Black, already a widower, asked his former sweetheart on a date.
“They’re back together, and they’re happy as clams,” Hultz said, adding that she and her siblings are happy the two reunited.
On Nov. 11, Walczyk’s 83 birthday, the couple embarked on a journey they once intended to take more than 50 years ago. In a delicate wedding dress she purchased from the Salvation Army, shortened and died blue, Walczyk holds a bouqet of orange, yellow and red roses as she faces her soon-to-be husband.
Surrounded by their families in Walczyk’s son Steve’s kitchen, the bride and her groom promise to love each other and slide wedding rings onto eachother’s fingers. With two tears running down his cheeks and a brilliant smile on her face, Black holds Walczyk’s smiling face in his hands and kisses her, again and again.
“Kiss her again, dad,” shouts Black’s daughter.
And, clasping his wife’s hand, he does.
The bride and groom stand side by side before a minister, hands entwined. His hand blankets her tiny hand entirely, keeping it warm. She smiles radiantly, stealing occasional glances at her groom. He stands straight and proud, never wavering from his bride’s side.
Elvis Presley croons “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in the background to set the mood for their nuptials. From the looks on Mavis Walczyk and Ralph Black’s face, it’s easy to see the two are in love.
But Walczyk and Black’s romance is no fledgling flame. Their love story is 65 years in the making.
Black said his and Walczyk’s first encounter stretches back to when she was 8 and he was 11. She was simply his friend’s kid sister then, a friendly figure in a house he loved being in.
“We grew up together,” Black, now 86, explained. “I really grew up in their home as much as in my own.”
Walczyk, née Barber, belongs to one of Weedsport’s most well-known families. Ernie Barber, Walczyk’s father, opened Barber Welding with his brother in the village more than half a century ago. Over 58 years later, the family welding company still calls Weedsport home.
Black looked up to Walczyk’s father and spent a great deal of his childhood in the Barber home. He said he and Walczyk often passed central New York’s long winters twirling around frozen ponds.
“I think we skated our life away,” he remembers with a smile.
Then World War II ravaged the world, inspiring a 17-year-old Black to use his skills as a pilot to defend his country. After being officially enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 18, Black flew planes until the war’s conclusion.
When he returned home, the childhood acquaintances became more than friends. Walczyk said she and Black “went together” for five years. Black even bought his sweetheart a ring.
However, it seemed their union, for a time, was not to be.
As a young nursing student living in Auburn, Walczyk’s heart was captured by the suave Louis Walczyk.
“He swept Mavis off her feet because Ralph was slow on the trigger,” Kathleen Hultz, Walczyk’s eldest daughter, said.
And so the former sweethearts married other people. Walczyk had nine children, and Black had four.
“They had a nice marriage, and so did I,” Black said.
When Walczyk was widowed in 2008, Black broke their decades of silence by being the first person to send a sympathy card. Four months after Louis Walczyk’s death, Black, already a widower, asked his former sweetheart on a date.
“They’re back together, and they’re happy as clams,” Hultz said, adding that she and her siblings are happy the two reunited.
On Nov. 11, Walczyk’s 83 birthday, the couple embarked on a journey they once intended to take more than 50 years ago. In a delicate wedding dress she purchased from the Salvation Army, shortened and died blue, Walczyk holds a bouqet of orange, yellow and red roses as she faces her soon-to-be husband.
Surrounded by their families in Walczyk’s son Steve’s kitchen, the bride and her groom promise to love each other and slide wedding rings onto eachother’s fingers. With two tears running down his cheeks and a brilliant smile on her face, Black holds Walczyk’s smiling face in his hands and kisses her, again and again.
“Kiss her again, dad,” shouts Black’s daughter.
And, clasping his wife’s hand, he does.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Splendor in the Grass
Natalie Wood's mysterious death has been in the news again, after so many decades. Following is a portion of the script in what I consider her most meaningful movie: Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass". It is a milepost to the changing values of society, the divide between the present generation and mine. Somehow, it makes me sad.
A prudish Mrs. Loomis asserts that women don't enjoy sex or have sexual urges, and that they dutifully have sex with their husbands only to have children. She was always physically repelled by her husband and men's aggressive tendencies. But a virginal Deanie is already experiencing (and repressing) strong, out-of-control physical drives, although she struggles with wanting to be 'a good girl' and worries about staying pure until marriage. [Her bedroom's decorations - including a brown bear on top of her pillow - project her childlike innocence that's on the verge of breaking traditional bounds.]:
A prudish Mrs. Loomis asserts that women don't enjoy sex or have sexual urges, and that they dutifully have sex with their husbands only to have children. She was always physically repelled by her husband and men's aggressive tendencies. But a virginal Deanie is already experiencing (and repressing) strong, out-of-control physical drives, although she struggles with wanting to be 'a good girl' and worries about staying pure until marriage. [Her bedroom's decorations - including a brown bear on top of her pillow - project her childlike innocence that's on the verge of breaking traditional bounds.]:
Deanie: But Mom, didn't, didn't you ever - well, I mean, didn't you ever feel that way about Dad? (She hugs and clutches onto her mother in a desperate fashion)
Mrs. Loomis: Your father never laid a hand on me until we were married. And then I-I just gave in because a wife has to. A woman doesn't enjoy those things the way a man does. She just lets her husband come near her in order to have children. (Deanie stands with her back toward her mother.) Deanie, what's troubling you?
Deanie: Oh, nothing, Mom.
After her mother leaves, Deanie throws herself onto her bed, casts away her brown bear in disgust, grabs her pillow, and thrusts her chest into it. Her sexual longings burst forth as she imagines hugging her sweetheart while glancing at Bud's many pictures plastered above her dresser. Deanie caresses each one with a kiss, and then kneels at her bedside to recite the Lord's Prayer.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Cliffside Wedding
by Tito Eric
Now, this has got to be the most romantic scene I have witnessed this year – a wedding held at Amorita’s Cliffside Deck overlooking Alona Beach.
From what I was told, here’s how it all happened. This young Russian couple walked in at the resort’s front office without any reservation. They said they wanted to check in and be married in the resort’s premises the following day; willing to pay for everything in advance if necessary. Without batting an eyelash, the front office attendant said, “Certainly!”
Right after the couple was ushered into their room, a flurry of activities ensued. And sure enough, on the appointed time the next day, the staff of Amorita had perfectly arranged everything as if under the spell of a magic wand. From getting a pastor to conduct the ceremony, right down to acquiring some fireworks to light up the evening sky to herald the couple’s marital bliss.
FROM: Turning Boholano
Now, this has got to be the most romantic scene I have witnessed this year – a wedding held at Amorita’s Cliffside Deck overlooking Alona Beach.
From what I was told, here’s how it all happened. This young Russian couple walked in at the resort’s front office without any reservation. They said they wanted to check in and be married in the resort’s premises the following day; willing to pay for everything in advance if necessary. Without batting an eyelash, the front office attendant said, “Certainly!”
Right after the couple was ushered into their room, a flurry of activities ensued. And sure enough, on the appointed time the next day, the staff of Amorita had perfectly arranged everything as if under the spell of a magic wand. From getting a pastor to conduct the ceremony, right down to acquiring some fireworks to light up the evening sky to herald the couple’s marital bliss.
FROM: Turning Boholano
Friday, December 2, 2011
Love
by Kahlil Gibran
Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
FROM: The Prophet
Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
FROM: The Prophet
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
If thou must love me
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
"I love her for her smile—her look—her way
Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day"—
For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may
Be changed, or change for thee—and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
"I love her for her smile—her look—her way
Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day"—
For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may
Be changed, or change for thee—and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
Monday, November 28, 2011
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Our Story
by Ludwig Cruz
I met Solange about 5 years ago at work. I had caught a glimpse of her through the window of a door as I walked through a hallway, and quickly thought of visiting someone (anyone) that worked in that area. After making that sharp right and in through that doorway, I made small talk with those around her who then introduced her to me. As she turned, (don’t laugh) everything slowed down: like a dramatic scene in a movie, and I remember thinking WOW. I must say I did a pretty good job at lip syncing, ‘wow’ and making it sound like ‘nice, to meet you’. She stood there in her pony tail, long sleeve black shirt and tan pants- she was beautiful. In that brief moment, I went to heaven: her eyes, her smile, her laughter, her touch, her kiss and then I thought - this girl would never be interested in me and quickly, I came back down to earth and almost whimpered back out of the room.
Fast forward to December 30th, 2008: I receive a mass email of happy new years’ wishes that I truly had no time to read, but something caught my eye. Solange was also on that list. I contemplated emailing her separately to tell her how great it was seeing her name, thinking of that first time I saw her and wondering how I should word that she needed to run away with me. Well, that was a shorter trip down to earth, and so, I emailed her “Hey remember me, how are you?” For the next few days, we emailed each other back and forth and we learned a lot about each other. Each line in each email was engraved by our characters and each word was as genuine as the love that they began to nourish.
By February, a peace had settled in my heart, a knowing that I wanted Solange to be in my life forever. The months that followed have been the happiest in my life. I’ve met the incredible people in her life such as her family and friends. And I wake up each morning to think that today, too. I am in my heaven.
On December 20th, 2009, we entered a church. No one was inside, no candles were lit, and no lights were on. Only the sunlight piercing through the stained glass windows lit our way. And as we walked through, I told Solange how ironic my life has been. Ironic that after deciding not to continue into the priesthood, I find myself in front of an altar for one reason. To marry the woman that I could have never dreamed of - because I could’ve never imagined what heaven was like until I found her.
On August 29,2010, just 224 days from today we will marry in that same church and thus, begin Our Forever.
It’s 1215 am on January 16th, 2010 and I’m writing to tell you of what today is. See 365 days ago, I found myself in a peculiar situation, one, that I had never been in before and that I will never be in again. I found myself in this juxtaposition where my life has brought me and where my hopes never dared to go. Today is the anniversary of the act of me rounding up courage, stumbling through words and holding back tears to ask Solange to be my girlfriend. It was just a few days prior, that a Happy New Year’s wish became my lifelong dream. And so today, at the stroke of midnight, as I lay in bed next to my fiancee, I tell you the story of Our Forever.
I met Solange about 5 years ago at work. I had caught a glimpse of her through the window of a door as I walked through a hallway, and quickly thought of visiting someone (anyone) that worked in that area. After making that sharp right and in through that doorway, I made small talk with those around her who then introduced her to me. As she turned, (don’t laugh) everything slowed down: like a dramatic scene in a movie, and I remember thinking WOW. I must say I did a pretty good job at lip syncing, ‘wow’ and making it sound like ‘nice, to meet you’. She stood there in her pony tail, long sleeve black shirt and tan pants- she was beautiful. In that brief moment, I went to heaven: her eyes, her smile, her laughter, her touch, her kiss and then I thought - this girl would never be interested in me and quickly, I came back down to earth and almost whimpered back out of the room.
Fast forward to December 30th, 2008: I receive a mass email of happy new years’ wishes that I truly had no time to read, but something caught my eye. Solange was also on that list. I contemplated emailing her separately to tell her how great it was seeing her name, thinking of that first time I saw her and wondering how I should word that she needed to run away with me. Well, that was a shorter trip down to earth, and so, I emailed her “Hey remember me, how are you?” For the next few days, we emailed each other back and forth and we learned a lot about each other. Each line in each email was engraved by our characters and each word was as genuine as the love that they began to nourish.
By February, a peace had settled in my heart, a knowing that I wanted Solange to be in my life forever. The months that followed have been the happiest in my life. I’ve met the incredible people in her life such as her family and friends. And I wake up each morning to think that today, too. I am in my heaven.
On December 20th, 2009, we entered a church. No one was inside, no candles were lit, and no lights were on. Only the sunlight piercing through the stained glass windows lit our way. And as we walked through, I told Solange how ironic my life has been. Ironic that after deciding not to continue into the priesthood, I find myself in front of an altar for one reason. To marry the woman that I could have never dreamed of - because I could’ve never imagined what heaven was like until I found her.
On August 29,2010, just 224 days from today we will marry in that same church and thus, begin Our Forever.
Our Wedding
St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church
231 Second Street
Clifton, NJ 07011
August 29, 2010
3 p.m. ceremony
231 Second Street
Clifton, NJ 07011
August 29, 2010
3 p.m. ceremony
Our Reception
The Palace at Somerset Park
333 Davidson Avenue
Somerset, NJ 08873
August 29, 2010
6 p.m. cocktail hour
7 p.m. reception
333 Davidson Avenue
Somerset, NJ 08873
August 29, 2010
6 p.m. cocktail hour
7 p.m. reception
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Confession: I Just Dumped My Lover
From: True Confessions
Leaving your lover is extremely difficult. Especially when the relationship has reached heights it never was even supposed to attempt. In the beginning of all relationships women always start out with the upper hand, only because it is SHE who is being pursued, convinced, wooed, and persuaded. In my case after months of courtship, gifts, surprises and relentless persistence I gave in. Only because I wanted to be spoiled and he was the man who wanted to do it. To be completely honest I wasn't even attracted to him at first, he wasn't even my type. Usually I go for the rougher kind, the one who acts like he doesn't care from the start. He was different he wanted to really know me and not just my body or so I thought.
I knew I was in for some trouble the first time we were intimate, he's hands down the most fantastic lover I've ever experienced in all my 25 years in this world. I used to keep these big ass bottles of lubricate around but while I was with this man I threw all those bottles away. There was no need. He stimulated me above and beyond what I thought possible, our love making sessions were full of giving and receiving..and I was on the receiving end. He was kind and caring, sincere and giving, warm and affectionate and all mine..except for his girlfriend, but I didn't care at the time. The relationship wasn't supposed to go farther than his objective which was Contributing To Your Happiness. Now that's one hell of a line, if I may say so myself. And I bought it hook line and sinker. You can't blame me, an expert lover, giving affectionately and financially, sincere and always there for me, any girl would fall in love. And this one did.
But that was months ago..our relationship has since degenerated to the point of non existence. The reason for this is that hiding under the warm and sincere man that I had come to care about and even love was this selfish, self-pitying, emotionally crippled man..I had no fucking idea! The facade was that thick! I look back now and see the signs that all of those attributes were there from the start but glossed over so much that I was completely blindsided and couldn't see them. Well they are all exposed now and one thing I cannot stand is a man that would rather whine and mope about what he doesn't have and can't seem to get instead of realizing what's right in front of him and what he's about to lose. In my case lost.
It's over now and I feel so good. Only because I've been do depressed recently with the knowledge that I needed to leave him and physically not being capable to. Finally I got up the strength and resolve to do it and I told him that I couldn't deal with his bullshit anymore and that I hope we can be friends. I don't really think that's possible but don't we all like to the can't we just be friends line? It cushions the blow and makes leaving all the more easier, especially for the dumper.
Oh I forgot to mention that this break up happened only a week ago. Pray that I can really last without him.
Leaving your lover is extremely difficult. Especially when the relationship has reached heights it never was even supposed to attempt. In the beginning of all relationships women always start out with the upper hand, only because it is SHE who is being pursued, convinced, wooed, and persuaded. In my case after months of courtship, gifts, surprises and relentless persistence I gave in. Only because I wanted to be spoiled and he was the man who wanted to do it. To be completely honest I wasn't even attracted to him at first, he wasn't even my type. Usually I go for the rougher kind, the one who acts like he doesn't care from the start. He was different he wanted to really know me and not just my body or so I thought.
I knew I was in for some trouble the first time we were intimate, he's hands down the most fantastic lover I've ever experienced in all my 25 years in this world. I used to keep these big ass bottles of lubricate around but while I was with this man I threw all those bottles away. There was no need. He stimulated me above and beyond what I thought possible, our love making sessions were full of giving and receiving..and I was on the receiving end. He was kind and caring, sincere and giving, warm and affectionate and all mine..except for his girlfriend, but I didn't care at the time. The relationship wasn't supposed to go farther than his objective which was Contributing To Your Happiness. Now that's one hell of a line, if I may say so myself. And I bought it hook line and sinker. You can't blame me, an expert lover, giving affectionately and financially, sincere and always there for me, any girl would fall in love. And this one did.
But that was months ago..our relationship has since degenerated to the point of non existence. The reason for this is that hiding under the warm and sincere man that I had come to care about and even love was this selfish, self-pitying, emotionally crippled man..I had no fucking idea! The facade was that thick! I look back now and see the signs that all of those attributes were there from the start but glossed over so much that I was completely blindsided and couldn't see them. Well they are all exposed now and one thing I cannot stand is a man that would rather whine and mope about what he doesn't have and can't seem to get instead of realizing what's right in front of him and what he's about to lose. In my case lost.
It's over now and I feel so good. Only because I've been do depressed recently with the knowledge that I needed to leave him and physically not being capable to. Finally I got up the strength and resolve to do it and I told him that I couldn't deal with his bullshit anymore and that I hope we can be friends. I don't really think that's possible but don't we all like to the can't we just be friends line? It cushions the blow and makes leaving all the more easier, especially for the dumper.
Oh I forgot to mention that this break up happened only a week ago. Pray that I can really last without him.
Monday, November 21, 2011
A First Kiss?
by moonlight requiem
I remember my first kiss .
It was clumsy and awkward, but we were both 13 and this was sort of our first time doing anything of the sort. At 13, I was geeky and short but somehow, this guy actually liked me. He was my cousin's best friend, could play the guitar and quote Star Wars. Oh yeah, that was the kind of guy I liked.
My first kiss was in a stairwell. Our classrooms were along a long corridor on the ground floor of the school, and there were staircases at either end for students to access the upper floors, faster. They were somewhat deserted, people usually preferred using the main staircase. I remember asking him to walk me to the science lab and as soon as we got to a somewhat quiet area, I took a step towards him.
There was nervousness, hesitation. I'd read a lot of romance novels by this point in my life, and I wondered if I would see fireworks, or hear bells ringing, or something like that. But I moved in, and so did he and we kissed. My teeth bumped against his, and his lips nicked my lower lip a little but I felt him smile into the kiss. We pulled away after that, it wasn't anything more than a peck. He held my hand and we walked upstairs.
That's my first kiss.
I remember my first kiss .
It was clumsy and awkward, but we were both 13 and this was sort of our first time doing anything of the sort. At 13, I was geeky and short but somehow, this guy actually liked me. He was my cousin's best friend, could play the guitar and quote Star Wars. Oh yeah, that was the kind of guy I liked.
My first kiss was in a stairwell. Our classrooms were along a long corridor on the ground floor of the school, and there were staircases at either end for students to access the upper floors, faster. They were somewhat deserted, people usually preferred using the main staircase. I remember asking him to walk me to the science lab and as soon as we got to a somewhat quiet area, I took a step towards him.
There was nervousness, hesitation. I'd read a lot of romance novels by this point in my life, and I wondered if I would see fireworks, or hear bells ringing, or something like that. But I moved in, and so did he and we kissed. My teeth bumped against his, and his lips nicked my lower lip a little but I felt him smile into the kiss. We pulled away after that, it wasn't anything more than a peck. He held my hand and we walked upstairs.
That's my first kiss.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Maybe it left you stronger...
by The Girl Next Door
Have you ever had a time when you met someone from your past? Someone whom you always wished you would see but hardly did and when you least expect it, they re-appear again in your life? At that moment, you just freeze not knowing what to do. You feel lost, just losing it all. And that person is looking all normal, like nothing has ever happened. You feel so weak but you know deep in your heart, never will you let yourself go back to the past; the past which you have always wanted to erase.
Have you ever had a time when you met someone from your past? Someone whom you always wished you would see but hardly did and when you least expect it, they re-appear again in your life? At that moment, you just freeze not knowing what to do. You feel lost, just losing it all. And that person is looking all normal, like nothing has ever happened. You feel so weak but you know deep in your heart, never will you let yourself go back to the past; the past which you have always wanted to erase.
You thought they left, that they were gone;
And then they suddenly appear after so long.
You feel paralysed; don’t know what to do,
Standing there speechless worst than a fool.
Weakness gets to you but you stand strong,
History is where they should belong.
You start to ponder and wonder why;
Why they still come back when they meant goodbye.
Their presence so obvious, you just can’t avoid;
This person who once had your heart spoilt.
You appear normal, cheerful as ever,
But in your heart, never so miserable.
You want to scream, you want to shout
This person’s feelings you no longer doubt.
It’s all over and you’ve had enough,
You just got to show them that you’re tough.
They act so normal like nothing is wrong,
Leaving you and coming back after so long.
Why can’t they see, why can’t they tell;
It was because of them, our world once fell.
No more chances they will get,
All the memories you wish to forget.
So what if again you’ll meet,
Now you know your heart’s strong enough to defeat.
Walking forward, Turning back,
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Poor Little Fool
Poor Little Fool
Ricky Nelson
I used to play around with hearts that hastened at my call,
But when I met that little girl I knew that I would fall.
(chorus)
Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh..
She played around and teased me with her carefree devil eyes,
She'd hold me close and kiss me but her heart was full of lies.
(chorus)
She told me how she cared for me and that we'd never part,
And so for the very first time I gave away my heart.
(chorus)
The next day she was gone and I knew she'd lied to me,
She left me with a broken heart and won her victory.
(chorus)
I'd played this game with other hearts but I never thought I'd see,
The day that someone else would play love's foolish game with me.
(chorus)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Glimpses of the past
I was working with his father, a very good man who took care of me and my friends as we went thru high school. He was aloof but my friends told me that they catch him looking at me. It made me feel conscious and it was my younger sister who made it obvious that we were attracted to each other.
Never would I forget my youth: my desire to be together, to talk to each other, to let go of how I feel hoping that somehow, he feels the same way.
There are times that I was conscious of his eyes on me. I would pretend not to notice, giving out a smile as if to acknowledge that I know what was in his mind.
Never would I forget my youth: my desire to be together, to talk to each other, to let go of how I feel hoping that somehow, he feels the same way.
There are times that I was conscious of his eyes on me. I would pretend not to notice, giving out a smile as if to acknowledge that I know what was in his mind.
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