On Love and Fairy Tales

“This world is filled with dreams of people - many of which will never be realized.  Sometimes, some dreams need to be lost for others to be fulfilled.  I made a promise to myself that I will make her happy no matter what - at any cost.  And since I found out that I could not make her happy with my dreams, the only thing left to do is to make her happy with hers - even if I know it would cause me to lose mine.   I think that’s what true love is.  To be able to find real happiness in the joy of those we care for.”

 - excerpt from Redkinoko’s The Princess and the Garden

     I was browsing the Ragnaboards Fanfic Section when I suddenly noticed a one-shot by one of my favorite writers.  Unlike most of his previous works,  this particular piece of prose  did not contain Kinko’s usual brand of intriguing plot twists and complex amalgamation of characters.  The tale is straightforward and pure… brilliant in its simplicity.  It could even pass as a child’s bedroom story.  But more than this, it speaks so clearly of a truth so profound and so poignant.

     Some people call it love when they hold on tenaciously against all odds.  Some call it love when wave upon wave of emotion engulfs their being.  Some call it love when all reason is defaced in the light of their beloved.  But if one is to believe these things then one would be truly misguided.

     Love, more than anything else, is unselfish.  It does not hold on, it simply touches deeply.  It does not defy reason,  it simply accepts what exists.  Love does not question, it simply understands.  Love binds gently, and is willing to let go completely.  Love does not list criteria.  It does not keep a record of faults nor wrongs.  It does not count the number of chances given, it simply threads on with unfailing continuity.  Love is about unflinching honesty and unfailing faith.  Love bridges differences, braves distances, and defies time.

     Love is carving a unique path through life together, hand-in-hand, with the firm conviction that there is nothing that cannot be accepted or cannot be endured; knowing that the path ahead of you is much longer and much brighter than the path behind you.