Repost: Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 8.

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine?

A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!"

~Ralphie

Part 8 is dedicated to love. Love comes in so many different forms, it may be hard to come up with a short quip for this post, so forgive me if this goes astray and gets a bit long-winded.  And yes, I realize the quote may not be directly relative to love, but Ralphie soooo looked forward to getting his Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin in the mail for weeks and his excitement when it first arrived (prior to cracking the secret code) was what drew me to use this quote.

Love is such a powerful feeling, an emotion that fills you with joy and excitement!  When you find yourself in love you never want it to end. You want to keep it, forever.  Many say nothing lasts forever, promises are meant to be broken, blah, blah, blah ... yea, I know, sad, right? I am that dreamer who believes in love at first sight, fairy tales lives, and fate.  I will never give up on those things because I still believe, despite everything I've gone through over the years, that a love that is cherished and respected does last forever, and promises need not be made just to make another happy.

I've had a rough stint with love though. Now, I'm not saying that I'm not to blame for any of it, I am. I can say that because I had lessons to learn to become who I am today. Failed relationship after failed relationship, it probably seems like years wasted to most people, but not to me.  I have learned that you have to take the good out of every situation, even the ones that bring you down to your complete rock bottom.

So here we are and it's Christmas time.  I hit my rock bottom in March of 2012, but since August 2012, I can't remember a time in my adult life when I have been any happier in love.  After a breakup from a very toxic relationship, I gave up hope on finding someone who would be a part of my happily ever after.  Then, I met someone, who, at the time I didn't realize would be anything more than a friend, until August. Everything changed in August with a few simple words.  Ya see I'm a simple girl, all I really want is a man who will take care of me, who will be there for me when I need to bitch and complain, someone who will make me feel as beautiful as he tells me I am ... and mean it.  Yea, I got that. And OMG! if I could have ever imagined it would feel THIS good, I would have thought I was over-rating it.  It feels sooo AMAZING to be given back the same amount of love that you give out, to be with someone who shows you that he loves you, not just says it.  Someone, who with a simple smile, makes your heart melt!!!!  Love should never be taken for granted, ignored, or under-appreciated.  It should be embraced and held in such high regard, so if the road does ever get a bit rough, you know, with every ounce of your being, that you will get through it ... together, and that you will be stronger because of it.  

So what's this got to do with bringing the magic back to Christmas????  Well, everything. Love is the leading ruler of this world, aside from war, anyways.  Marriages end in divorce because people don't take their vows seriously enough to fight for what they thought they once wanted. Prejudice and judging others seems to be a wave of the future again, rather than a death of the past and causes our children, the future leaders of this world, to grow up with hate rather than love, judgments of who they SHOULD be rather than endorsements for who they WANT to be, and the worst of all, the media, of all kinds, help this get along further than any feel-good news that would actually show mankind there is still good in this world, rather than all of the drama, hate, and despair that goes around.  I believe that we need to make changes in how we show this world to our children.  John Lennon had it right in his song "Imagine" ... yes, he was a dreamer, but so am I ... but I don't have the dream of a world of peace, that is impossible, war is inevitable, HOWEVER, if we can live our own lives with peace, love, and harmony, perhaps we would have stronger family bonds, friendships, and other partnerships, which, in turn, would provide for a world of stronger humanity.  

So, here's my unsolicited advice ... if you have someone in your life who makes you his or her everything, loves you with their entire heart and soul and would take a bullet for you, and not only tells you but shows and proves it to you as much as humanly possible ... show your appreciation for that, because it can be gone, in an instant, leaving you with your heart in a billion pieces because you didn't take the time to slow down, respect a TRUE love and give it back the way it is given to you.  Love is something that you should cherish EVERY DAY, not just when it suits you.  Love should never be taken for granted, it should be respected and given back threefold.  Make memories together and laugh often.  Share emotions, secrets, and scars that make you who you are, don't hide them, or try to forget that they are there ... why would you want to cover up YOU? 

"LOVE" Statue in Philadelphia, PA

Have you found YOUR everlasting love? 

Peace, Love, and Light, 

Christine