Lessons in Love

So, obviously I am a single lady so you are probably wondering, "what lessons in love could you possibly have to share?" Well, I guess those who can't do, watch. Lucky for me I have an abundance of people to learn from -- let me set the stage for this lesson.

Yesterday I returned from spending six days in Colorado with my friends and family. During my visit I stayed with my brother and his wife in their new home in Denver. This trip marks the most time my brother and I have spent together in the town in which we grew up probably since I was 12-years-old. With five years separating us, my brother and I spent most of our youth teasing one another and turning every place we went together into our own personal wrestling ring. Now, though the number of candles on our birthday cakes indicate many years have passed, little about our relationship has changed except I can say our friendship and appreciation for one another has grown. Being with my brother gives the ten-year-old inside of me a chance to come out and play. Together we enjoy jokes only a second grader would tell, insults that aren't really insulting and, above all else, The Hole Game. (If you are unaware of what this game is and how it works, I urge you to click the link. You can thank me later.) The best part about the adolescent fun and games is that it's no longer just the two of us, my sister-in-law doesn't just tolerate it, she usually joins in. I guess this is one of the many reasons why their relationship works. The couple that plays together stays together. In fact, at the end of this month my brother and sister-in-law will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.

If I had to take a lesson in love from observing my brother and his wife it would be this: love is a choice. My brother and sister-in-law make an effort to enjoy even the insignificant trips to the grocery store together and actively engage in what the other enjoys. I am always pleasantly surprised when my brother finds something new to obsess over -- whether it's wine or saltwater aquarims -- how my sister-in-law finds a way to not only watch but actively particpate in his hobbies. Even a close friend mentioned while I was visiting how he wishes he had what they have found. Don't be fooled, their love didn't just fall into their laps and it's not a marriage you only hear about in fairy tales, I think they would be the first to tell you that. What they have is real because they both make an effort to make it work. I have heard too many times people say love shouldn't be work -- but what I have learned from observing strong couples is that it is work, but the reward is more than worth it.