True Love

Friday has arrived my friends!  Sometimes, I honestly have mixed feelings about the weekends.  I love that it gives me time to spend with my family that doesn't involve my husband going to work or my daughter going to school.  What makes me uneasy about the weekends sometimes, is the lack of structure, or specific plan.  Sounds pretty sad and weird, huh?  This is something that I continue to work on regularly.  I need to be more relaxed and be able to "go with the flow" and just be content and happy with it. Unfortunately, so often the lack of a plan for the weekend leaves me feeling anxious.  I hate that I experience anxiety. It is  really a most uncomfortable feeling that makes me feel the lack of control of my own body and its reactions.  For me, running has been a wonderful answer to helping to ease any anxiety that I may be experiencing.  It is not a wonder why so many people take up running at any age, young or old.  I have not been running in two weeks and it seems like it has been a lifetime.  I begin to get more irritable and anxious with every passing day.  The weather here has not been very favorable to head out for a refreshing run.  Tomorrow looks like I may be able to sneak out for a couple of miles and rejuvenate myself once again. Once again, here I go with the planning.  


My little bit of inspiration for you today comes from a story that has been all over the news the last few days.  It is a story of true love.  A couple in Iowa, that had been married 72 years, died holding hands, just one hour apart.  Here is a short video that tells the story, in case you missed it this week.  

Hearing about this story, made me think about my own grandparents. My grandparents had been married 68 years when they passed away six years ago.  My grandpa died on a Tuesday in July, and my grandma passed away just moments after I arrived to see her in North Carolina, just four days later, on Saturday evening.  My grandparents shared one of the truest and most wonderful love for each other that I have ever seen.  It did not surprise me at all that they passed away within a matter of days of each other.  I honestly don't think that they could have or would have wanted to go on without the other.  I fully believe that once my grandpa passed away, my grandma knew that it was okay for her to go too.  The four days they were apart was enough.  In my mind, I have always thought that she died of a broken heart.  Not your typical broken heart but, a broken heart from the absence of her lifelong love, soulmate and partner.  I am so thankful that grandma hung on long enough for my arrival from Michigan.  Grandma and I always had a very special relationship and were very close.  It was as if she knew, once I saw her, kissed her and told her my last "I love you", it was okay to pass along to the next life to be reunited with her true love.  


What an incredible example for what true love is all about, that they set for any and all who where lucky enough to know this sweet, kind and caring couple.  Their love so often radiated from them, even when they were in their 80's and beyond.  You could just see the love in their eyes as they caught glimpse of each other across the room. My goodness, I was lucky to have them in my life and to witness such love and adoration. They were like newlyweds for the entire 68 years of marriage that they shared. The love they had was just like it came straight out of a movie.  I am being completely honest.  It was the love that so many dream about having.  As I sit and fight the tears back because I miss them so very much, I can also smile at the thought of their true love story.  


Grandma and grandpa, not a single day passes by in which I don't think of you both.  I love and miss you with all my heart.  I hope that you are looking down at me with those unbelievable googly eyes that you have for each other.  I can only hope to live such a love story as great as you have shown to me.  You both proved that it is entirely possible.  In hindsight, I would have loved to know all of your secrets to keeping your relationship so strong and fresh for so many years. It would have been a great book that I would have loved to write to share your love for each other.  I love you so much.  Until we meet again.  Keep loving that love that we all dream of being so lucky to experience for decades upon decades.


Today, I wish for each of you that you are able to experience such incredible love as the love I have just shared.  Anything is possible.  We all just need to learn the ways that others need to be loved and express the ways we need to be loved to the ones we love.  Great love takes work but, with all hope, we will get as much out of it, as we invest into it.  


Have a fabulous weekend!