Once upon a time a little girl named Kathy walked down the street with her sister, she pointed out a house she really loved and said, “One day, I’m going to marry the boy that lives there”.
Several years later she met that boy on the school bus and the rest is history…
39 years ago my mom, who is the ultimate romantic, married her best friend, and the best man I know.
And today they are still best friends and are so very much in love .
When you grow up in a household that is living proof that true love really exists, you learn to never question it.
I also learned at a young age that I was supposed to follow directly in their footsteps. While I did have a living love story in front of me every day, it took many many years to realize that my love story didn’t have to play out just like theirs did.
I did not meet my soulmate at 14.
I did not stand up in front of my friends and family at 19 years old and vow to love and cherish the man of my dreams.
I did not “find it” and just “know” …. Yet.
And it took me many years to come to terms with the fact that my love story did NOT have to be the same as the one that I witnessed my entire life.
What I did learn from my parents about LOVE is that in all forms, it conquers all. I used to use the term “love conquers all” ALL of the time (ask my friends, they will tell you)… And when I said it, I was referring to the love in a romantic relationship only. Basically, because it always made me think back to the love my parents shared and so that is what I always knew to picture.
It wasn’t until the past year or so that I realized the true meaning of that phrase… LOVE, in its entirety, in all its forms is what truly conquers all.
Loving yourself.
Loving your life.
Loving your friends.
Loving your choices.
Loving your pets.
Loving your family.
Loving people who you feel connected with, for whatever reason.
Just the pure act of LOVING in general, in all its forms and all the beauty and magic that comes along with it, THAT is what conquers all.
I am eternally grateful for the amazing example my parents have shown me, throughout my entire life, of what LOVE really is.
Yes, after over 40 years together, they are still crazy about each other. The truly beautiful thing is that they LOVE everything like that.
They love each other that way.
They love our family that way.
They love our country that way.
They love their pets that way.
They love their cars that way.
They love God that way.
They love their life that way.
So today, I just want to say THANK YOU to my amazing parents, Jay & Kathy for teaching me what it truly means to LOVE in all its definitions.
