A Letter to Lovers

Love is splendid risk, a gamble in which we throw our souls bare to another, allowing them to wander amongst the fragile bits of ourselves. The question is not whether they will hurt us, but rather will they try to avoid hurting. Can we create together sufficient joy that the inadvertent wounds are washed away?

Lovers prove the wondrous resilience of the human spirit. Pour every ounce of love and energy into a pairing; watch it slide, plummet, and shatter. You are truly alone with your self and the wreckage, but it is then that you gain clarity and define yourself as you walk away from the past.

Is it possible that we are not fully adults until we have survived a horrific loss that could have left us broken? Devastated lovers may decide that true love is not real. I name them as cowards. Take your own time to heal before returning your heart to the ring, but do not forsake the dream. Those who do gain nothing and lose hope.

The ideal partner is the one you happen to notice next to you as you create your own fulfilled, independent life. Yes, I know, they're usually married. Just keep going until you forget that you're looking, and then look!
...and keep your heart open, always.

JDM 6/30/07
Ithaca, New York