Love and Togetherness: Ingredients for A Happy Life

     There are people who love from a distance. Young people feel the excitement of first love, perhaps with a person who they do not really know very well - maybe because they have not been introduced yet, or each one is simply too shy to approach the other.

     There are also those who have expressed their love for one another but work or studies have separated them. Maybe they can only see each other a few days per month, or a few vacation weeks per year.  This long distance love affair can be quite challenging because one can never know how long the love will last.

   There are those who promised to love and may be in a marriage or a more serious relationship.  They are expected to spend time with each other and fulfill their duties as spouses or partners. Love becomes the reason for being more patient and kind with one another.  With the presence of love, partners can forgive each other's faults; thus, relationships can last a lifetime.

      These people in serious relationships can happen to get separated, perhaps because of career/work and income opportunities that especially attract people who have a high regard for personal growth and self-fulfillment.  Some lucky ones get what they want and come back, happy to be with the loved one once again.  The unlucky ones might stay separated, and search for new loves.

         If love and togetherness are ingredients for a happy life, shouldn't each one of us, couples and partners especially, strive to nurture that love and try our best to stay together?

       During these times of empowerment of both sexes, love for self is also a focus. Sadly, when a person cares more for his or her feelings, the hurt turns to bitterness and assertiveness.  Fights can easily result to separation when the two people involved refuse to let go of their pride. In some instances when one of the parties feel that the betrayal or the hurt is too much, an annulment or divorce will be resorted to. 

      Togetherness until death might be too hard to achieve if people are not humble enough to ask for forgiveness every time they did something wrong.  It cannot be expected if people keep referring to past hurts and regrets. This is simply because no one wants to have a wound that does not heal.  That wound will lead to death.

     The biblical passage in the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (13:4-7) guides us who want to have a happy life: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

        On your anniversary, let me wish you more years of love and togetherness. Cheers!