Now THIS is love...

[Cyndi]

This Saturday, my dad got up at 6 a.m., struck out into the chilly morning and drove to Home Depot to buy my mom a new ladder for Christmas. Msgr John(pastor of my church) happened to be there buying poinsettias. He told me he chatted with my dad for a bit and my dad's eyes lit up when he mentioned my mom's name during the conversation.

So that kinda got me thinking about what love is and what it makes people do...I think I'll list a few things my parents have done for each other as examples. Feel free to list your own!


Love is:

Staying at the hospital 24/7 after a spouse has suffered a perforated colon and is on the brink of death. Staying in the chapel for 55 minutes out of every hour and then going back to ICU for 5 minutes just to be with them, then going back to the chapel for another 55 minutes for a week straight(with maybe three hours of sleep a night on a cold bench).

Getting up at 6:30 to fix egg sandwiches for a spouse before heading out to help cook tacos for Taco Sunday at church.

Passing on a major social event because one doesn't feel well and the other refuses to leave them alone while they don't feel good.

Being a chauffer for a spouse whose health doesn't allow them to drive for a period of time, which includes going to Mass and other places not commonly visited.

Waiting with a spouse, outside in the freezing cold wind, for a tow truck to arrive and pick up a car with a broken starter.

Getting up at 4:30 in the morning to drive to a spouse's parent's house while the spouse is at work and tend to a terminally ill mother in law. This includes going out to buy diapers, paying for a hospital bed, guiding a hospice nurse to the house and then getting back home to take care of their own house and family.

Being there for the spouse when that parent passes away.

Scrimping and saving to buy a spouse a special gift for no real reason other than they love them.

A spouse at work finding time to call every day(even on hellishly busy days) just to say "I love you."

Giving long hugs and kisses before bedtime every night.


That's love.

[DottyG]

My parents have been married for 44 years.  And, they are more in love now than they were 44 years ago (if that's even possible).  They were childhood sweethearts.

There's no way to list the ways they show their love, as it'd be too long a list.

Suffice it to say that both of them consider each other to be their "best friend" - and have said so many times.

Mom once told me that the best way to love your children is to love their father with all your heart first (and vice versa).  And, if that's true, my parents love me - and each other - more than I can even imagine.

(And, yes, I always was the envy of all my friends with parents like these. )

[blue2000]

Totally GREEN with envy here. Can I borrow your parents for the holidays?

My parent's marriage was over long before I was born (unfortunately, they didn't get divorced till I was almost nineteen). I can't say I learned much about good marriages from them - but I have a long list of what *not* to do.

[Cyndi]

I think the reason a lot of marriages fail is because the people aren't willing to do things like that. With the medical problems my parents have both had in their lives, some would just dump them rather than spend the money.

Either that or after the newlywed rush of "bedroom time" wears off, they realize there's nothing else in the relationship.

At least that's what I've observed.

[Clara Bow]

My parents have been married almost forty years and my grandparents for sixty three...and they are very much in love. My Granny is largely incapacitated and my Pop takes total care of her, he even does her catheter at night. He works himself to death to stay ahead of her OCD and he is absolutely a saint for the crap he takes off of her. He loves that woman with all his heart, we should all be so lucky.
My parents? They are as "hot" for each other as they ever were...I say it creeps me out, but I am tickled for them. They have this great relationship and they are both totally crazy and a lot of fun. I laugh my head off when I call and Mom doesn't answer...then calls me later and says they were taking a "nap"...yeah right...

[HogwartsAlum]

Oh how sweeeeet....I totally hope I can find someone like that!

[Oxymoroness]

Every Christmas my parents would establish a budget and agree on how much they were allowed to spend on each other. Then they'd plan at least one mall trip for the whole family. On one particular year, my parents had actually managed to "finish" for each other, so this mall trip was more about me and my brother "buying" for each other and our parents. When it was my turn to go with my dad I found my mom and brother's gift very quickly and easily.

Note: Shopping for my dad, however, is a nightmare (the man has every gadget known to humanity) most people just resort to gift cards.

So with plently of time to spare, Dad whips out a stack of last year's gift cards and exclaims "Let's go shop for Mom!"

I responded with, "Won't you get in trouble?"

He smiled, and said, "Yup! Let's start at Sears."

That's love.

[Shoo]

So with plently of time to spare, Dad whips out a stack of last year's gift cards and exclaims "Let's go shop for Mom!"

I responded with, "Won't you get in trouble?"

He smiled, and said, "Yup! Let's start at Sears."

That's love.

Yup, that IS love!  I bet your mom forgave your dad for the extra presents.  Can't imagine holding that against him!

[Oxymoroness]

Yup, that IS love!  I bet your mom forgave your dad for the extra presents.  Can't imagine holding that against him!

We heard lots of "But I thought we agreed....! Another one?!"

Christmas is so much fun with my parents. 

[Sandi Papaya]

I'm not married, so I can't comment on some of the above-posted experiences, but I think good friendships, even platonic ones, have elements of true love built in - the sexual tension factor sometimes ups the ante, but I've had brushes with true love in both platonic friendships and more-than-platonic relationships.

And I think REAL love is saying that someone is "beautiful" despite the fact they're stuck in a metal and plastic cage drilled into their skull. Yes, I did have someone say that to me when he saw me for the first time when I was in the halo - he said I "didn't look that bad," because I had told him to prepare for the worst. He said later that my whole attitude about it just totally blew him away, because it was "beautiful." He didn't say directly that I was beautiful, but I think it was implied.

Yes, his name does start with a P. Yes, I totally, completely, absolutely have a thing for him. Yes, we're platonic friends and I'm just going with the flow, see where it leads me, but he's shown love and dedication, friend-wise, in lots of ways. Love doesn't have to be marital to count. Those few times I've hung out with him and just spent time with him, I've felt real love and affection flowing from his direction. It may only be platonic...it may not be. Who knows. But I know love when I feel it/see it. And he gives lots of it, freely and unconditionally. That's love.

[momto3daughters]

I cant give examples of my parnets but in my own marriage

Love is the mention that some ones chilly and the other getting them a blanket, cup of hot cocoa or turning up the heat.
Love is someone not liking much candy but taking there share from work thats given to them and bringing it home to there spouse.
Love is driving clear across town for a sandwich that you cant stand to bring something special to lunch.

The main love to me is just looking in his eyes, Just that look he gives me when ever he looks at me is true love. Love is also laying in bed and just listening to him breath and in his absolute dead sleep he rolls over and reaches and pulls me close.

We've been married 13 years.
Love is also when your kissing and your children walk in the room and say "get a room"

[Clara Bow]

Love is worrying about my tire pressure and changing my oil without being asked to...it's also folding the laundry and washing dishes when I feel yucky or tired or both...