My grandmother, a spry seventy-nine year old was telling us a joke she had hear at her fitness club. It goes like this, yes, I know that I can’t tell a joke to save my life, and it is made even more difficult when you have to type it off, but bear with me.
A woman says to the man she has been married to for fifty years, both of them already lying down one night, “When we were young, you used to hold my hand every night,” slowly and a little troubled, he stretches out his hand until he finds hers.
“And when we were young,” she continues, “you used to squeeze in bed next to me.” A little more slowly, her husband’s body creaks and turns over until it sits next to hers.
“And when we were young, you used to nibble my ear,” she adds. Suddenly, the man jumps out of bed pushing away the blankets…
“Where are you going?” she asks, her voice full of surprise. “Let me get my dentures,” the husband replied.
I found it sweet, yet blatant ageism, and to a degree creepy, but it highlights how we have changed as a society. When the joke was first told, it was by somebody much younger than my grandma, and they thought of themselves as old. She does not, in fact she sees herself as young and fit. Which, she most certainly is, both physically and mentally.
Surely, I already bored you but the thing is, I don’t want to keep this to myself. Humor can make us think about transformation, evolution, and growth. The human spirit, requires a good dose of perseverance towards maturity to reach its destination. But when you arrive you realize that you are still in transit.
This truth, that we can all find present in our lives at some point, is triggered by a parallel truth in my reasoning. Growth comes through true and mature love, it requires a great deal of perseverance and patience too… But not just any kind of perseverance, the kind which requires us to love that which we decided to love years ago.
Think about it like this… The word “Eros” means love. A word that keeps us loving, not only the sweetheart of our youth through the years, but also our friends and family despite their imperfections.
I am flooded with great peace, knowing that my husband’s love is precisely like that. How grateful I am that he is committed to loving me, now, and through the ages. Despite all my mistakes, which we all have for sure, and which have added up over time.
Today’s post was a little on the short side, I know, and it may not appeal much to those who are not married, but I hope it has at least some application in your life, regardless of your marital “status”.
I challenge you to continue loving those you have chosen to love and who in return have chose to love you. The people, despite their little imperfections have shared the happiness and the hardships on your side.
That is unconditional love!
Zoey