I can’t believe it’s the second week of February. Mother Nature is either pulling a cruel trick
on us Idahoans and we are about to be dumped on with snow… OR …we are having the
most mild and warm winter I think I ever remember having! It’s no matter because whether it’s warm, or
cold, I don’t think the temperature will ever stop me from enjoying Valentine’s
Day! I don’t love Valentine’s Day because
of things I’ve received; I love Valentine’s Day because I love…LOVE! …And believe you me; I know what REAL love
looks like!
My parents shared fifty-one years of marriage together. They enjoyed the first year of firsts and made
the adjustments necessary to compromise and forgiveness that allowed them to get
through the many accompanying years of compromise and forgiveness! They made it through the years of successfully
raising eight children: the scheduling, financial coordinating, and task of trying
to keep a united front in the face of possible mutiny! My Mom
and Dad loved each other in their finest of form and later recognized the
beauty of fine lines and grey hair! They
experienced the financial success that comes with hard work and dedication…then
stood shoulder to shoulder while they lost it all. They built beautiful houses with surrounding barns
and wood working shops…and together watched in disbelief as flames consumed the
shop they knew they’d never have again. Through
the ups, and the downs, my Mom and Dad battled against contemporary odds and
loved each other, in spite of the fact that things were not ALWAYS…perfect.
Reflecting on my parents time together, and the REAL love they
shared, reminds me of the lyrics of one of my favorite little love songs, “Endearing
young charms.” Written by Thomas Moore
in an attempt to remind his wife that no matter what happened in life, or in
their personal circumstance, he would love her forever! Due to the disfiguring effects that smallpox
left to her skin, Thomas Moore's wife refused to let
herself be seen by anyone, even her husband, because she believed no one could
love her after they viewed her badly scarred face and skin. Despairing at her confinement, Moore composed
the lyrics of this song to reassure her that he would always love her
regardless of her situation OR appearance. He later wrote that after hearing
him sing this song to her from outside her bedroom door, she finally allowed
him inside and fell into his arms, her confidence restored. The Moore’s, just like my parents, knew what
REAL love looks like…Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
“Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
Were to change by to-morrow and fleet in my arms,
Like fairy gifts fading away,
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.
It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear.
No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close
As the sunflower turns on her God when he sets
The same look which she turned when he rose.”
♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.
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