But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
(William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet)
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
(William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet)
In honor of the annual celebration of love held every mid-Febru’ere, a day full of flowers and chocolates, sweethearts and bitter ones, I wanted to write a few carefully chosen words to my love. Now, I am no sentimental romantic. And my sweetheart of a wife knows this and loves me nonetheless. In fact, for Valentines Day a few years ago, her present to me was an edited copy of Air Force One and it wasn’t just chocolate that melted as we enjoyed a fondue dessert that evening. My darling dearest does so many things that make my heart melt and go all mushy inside. So, in a spirit of mushiness, I have been researching classic romantic literature in my search for inspiration.
I started with Shakespeare, but got nowhere with that. What light through yonder window breaks? Wait, who broke the window? Was Romeo throwing rocks to get her attention? Juliet is the sun? Oh, I think I get what is going on here… There was this one scene in Forever Young where Elijah Wood was similarly calling on a pretty, little girl. But rather than serenading her with talk of the moon, he simply sang, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine – you make me happy when skies are grey…” But rather than breaking her window with oversized rocks, he ended up waking the father who comes to the girl’s window and asks, “Is this some kind of prank?” The boy adamantly defends his undying love for the lass, to which the father rolls his eyes and replies, “Nat… go home.” Now if this isn’t what Shakespeare was going for, then I’m lost… who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have any better luck than Nat anyway and am usually lost when it comes to serenades and sonnets.
But let’s try another:
I started with Shakespeare, but got nowhere with that. What light through yonder window breaks? Wait, who broke the window? Was Romeo throwing rocks to get her attention? Juliet is the sun? Oh, I think I get what is going on here… There was this one scene in Forever Young where Elijah Wood was similarly calling on a pretty, little girl. But rather than serenading her with talk of the moon, he simply sang, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine – you make me happy when skies are grey…” But rather than breaking her window with oversized rocks, he ended up waking the father who comes to the girl’s window and asks, “Is this some kind of prank?” The boy adamantly defends his undying love for the lass, to which the father rolls his eyes and replies, “Nat… go home.” Now if this isn’t what Shakespeare was going for, then I’m lost… who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have any better luck than Nat anyway and am usually lost when it comes to serenades and sonnets.But let’s try another:
My eyes want to kiss your face,
I have no power over my eyes.
They just want to kiss your face.
I flow towards you out of my eyes,
a fine heat trembles round your shoulders,
it slowly dissolves your contours
…
(Solveig Von Schoultsz – The Lover)
I have no power over my eyes.
They just want to kiss your face.
I flow towards you out of my eyes,
a fine heat trembles round your shoulders,
it slowly dissolves your contours
…
(Solveig Von Schoultsz – The Lover)
We’ll stop that one right there… my eyes want to kiss your face? What is that supposed to mean? And trembling, hot shoulders? Slowly dissolving contours? I’m lost again. I picked that one for the author’s last name… Schoultsz – how often do you see a last name with four consecutive consonants? Reminds me of the only Czech expression I can remember from my brief time studying the language – a saying made up purely of consonants: Strč prst skrz krk. Roughly translated, this means “Stick your finger through your throat,” an eastern European pleasantry, I assume. But, no, no, this author’s attempt at love poetry isn’t resonating with me. Strike two.
Step up to the plate, I’ve got one more swing in me:
Step up to the plate, I’ve got one more swing in me:
Every kiss provokes another. Ah, in those earliest days of
love how naturally the kisses spring into life. How closely,
in their abundance, are they pressed one against another;
until lovers would find it as hard to count the kisses
exchanged in an hour, as to count the flowers
in a meadow in May.(Marcel Proust – Swann’s Way)
love how naturally the kisses spring into life. How closely,
in their abundance, are they pressed one against another;
until lovers would find it as hard to count the kisses
exchanged in an hour, as to count the flowers
in a meadow in May.(Marcel Proust – Swann’s Way)
Now there are some words that I can relate to. There may be hope for me yet! This sounds kind of like Bill Cosby who described the earliest days of love that he shared with his girlfriend:
“We would do about 3 minutes worth of homework, and then we would cuddle up and start kissing. Oh, we would kiss for 12 hours! Just kiss everywhere – kiss on the sofa, move to the TV set, kiss up on the whatnot shelf, underneath the refrigerator, all over the place! You kiss so long until the inside of the mouth gets raw, and your lips swell up, and you say, “Listen, I think we better cut it out, alright? Tell you what, first one that heals, call, alright?”
One for three. That might get me onto a baseball batting lineup, but even Shaq can hit one for three from the charity stripe… then again, maybe he can’t. But I certainly don’t want any Hack-a-Shaq strategist to come up with the Strike-a-Mike defensive maneuver if I can’t improve on a 33% shooting average. And if I can’t bring my A-game romantically, my wife might start employing the Strike-a-Mike strategy as well. I can’t have that!
So let’s get away from poetry and turn to song lyrics. From Frank Sinatra:
So let’s get away from poetry and turn to song lyrics. From Frank Sinatra:
Love is a many-splendored thing,
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living,
The golden crown that makes a man a king.
Lost on a high and windy hill,
In the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still,
When our fingers touch my silent heart has taught us how to sing,
Yes, true love's a many-splendored thing.
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living,
The golden crown that makes a man a king.
Lost on a high and windy hill,
In the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still,
When our fingers touch my silent heart has taught us how to sing,
Yes, true love's a many-splendored thing.
Now that’s not too bad. Love is nature’s way of giving a reason to be living… two lovers kissed and the world stood still… the golden crown that makes a man a king… Most of that resonates. But splendored?!? I don’t think even Webster can help me out there.
Maybe sentimental, mushy words are not the way to go here. Maybe I need to broaden my research and have a go at romantic tales. As much as I enjoy writing fiction, my typical genre includes dragons, evil villains, and knights in shining armor. And knowing that I make a pretty poor knight in shining armor myself, I better stick to outsourced literature if I am to have any luck with my Valentine. So let’s start with Disney. The basic formula is as follows:
Maybe sentimental, mushy words are not the way to go here. Maybe I need to broaden my research and have a go at romantic tales. As much as I enjoy writing fiction, my typical genre includes dragons, evil villains, and knights in shining armor. And knowing that I make a pretty poor knight in shining armor myself, I better stick to outsourced literature if I am to have any luck with my Valentine. So let’s start with Disney. The basic formula is as follows:
- Boy meets girl
- Boy likes girl
- Some obstacle comes between boy and girl including, but not limited to, dragons masquerading as sinister witches, sorcerers with twisted goatees, brawny, muscular men who are about as wide as an ocean and, yet, as shallow as a puddle, aptly named ugly step-mothers and sisters, and "octopirls" (Napoleon Dynamite’s name for half-girl-half-octopuses that swim around with Nessy)
- Boy overcomes said obstacle
- Boy gets girl
As great as this formula is, there surely has to be a bit more depth to these tales than Disney lets on. There certainly was more depth to the story behind Lindsey and me. So I’m turning to Wikipedia to see what I can find.
Let’s see, Cinderella: Hold on a second… It says here that the earliest version of the story dates back to the 1st century BC… the girl didn’t like her stepmother. Okay, that jives. But it goes on to say that, before she was given the nickname Cinderella, she might have been named Sinisterella, as this charming, golden-haired beauty actually killed her stepmother so that her father might marry the housekeeper instead. But she wasn’t banking on the housekeeper’s six daughters moving in or that never-ending chore list. Yeah… that version won’t do.
Let’s fast forward a millennium, give or take a few centuries. The Grimm brothers version… this ought to be good. Let’s see… the ball, the glass slipper, some friendly birds… now we’re on to something. The prince arrives at the home of the ugly stepmother… the first stepsister tries on the slipper… so far so good… and then the stepsister cuts off part of her heal to get the slipper to fit, the prince sweeps her off her feet, carries her to his carriage, and they drive off into the sunset… but those friendly birds intervene by calling the prince’s attention to the blood dripping from the slipper… uh… let’s skip that part… the prince returns to the farmstead and the second sister tries the same trick… this girl, too, is ratted out by the birds, and the prince returns one last time… he recognizes Cinderella, whose foot does fit the slipper and the two ride off to live happily ever after. As a punishment for their trickery, the birds end up pecking out the eyes of the stepsisters… uh, let’s skip that part, too, and just summarize by saying that these girls don’t live quite so happily ever after.
Whew! That was a doozy! Maybe we can do better than Cinderella. Let’s try The Little Mermaid. My sisters loved that one. And this one is Hans Christian Andersen who cranked out The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and The Emperor’s New Clothes… this one ought to be fine. Let’s see… girl meets boy… girl can’t have boy because he’s human and she’s half-fish… she drinks a potion that allows her come on to land to be with the handsome prince but has the annoying side-effect of making her feel like she is walking on knives at all times… girl learns that the prince of her dreams has just married some other girl… girl’s mer-sisters offer her a knife with which to stab the prince to death… girl decides to be a martyr and throws herself into the sea where her body dissolves into sea foam.
Wow! We’re really doing badly here! There’s got to be some romantic gold here. I just have to look harder.
Snow White: the evil queen wanted Snow’s heart… we know that… but she planned on doing WHAT with it? Fast-forwarding to the handsome prince’s rescue… Let’s see… No kiss?!?... I guess I can’t blame him for not kissing the maiden… I wouldn’t want to kiss a corpse, either… but why did he carry her body back to her castle?… and I guess the romance is lost when the kiss of a prince doesn’t awaken the lass but rather the jostling of the horse that shakes loose that bit of poisonous apple.
Rapunzel: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair”… This has got to be a winner!... When the imposter mother learns of the wandering prince that has secretly been courting her tower-bound prisoner, she chops off the girl’s hair, banishes her to a nearby desert, and waits for the prince to return. When the prince climbs the stolen tresses and comes face to face with the angry sorceress, he leaps from the tower in fear and despair at having lost his love and lands in a thorn bush. The hero is blinded by the thorns that pierce his eyes and he wanders aimlessly through the land. Eventually, he stumbles his way into the desert and is reunited with his love after being drawn to her singing. Her tears of joy heal the sightless prince and they do live happily ever after.
Sleeping Beauty: on second thought, let’s not even go there!
Although the boy does get the girl in several of these tales, I’m feeling more icky than mushy. At this point, maybe I could outdo the Brothers Grimm or even Hans himself in writing an endearing tale of love. And that’s not saying much! I think I’ll stick to formulaic Disney from here on out. Who cares about romantic depth? But there has to be something I can draw upon for inspiration on how to express my deep love for my love.
Hold on, I think I’ve got it. Chick flick purists might scoff at my choice of inspiration, but it’ll have to do. After-all, the blockbuster movie Pearl Harbor was able to bring guys and girls together by combining mush with war action. I’m thinking of a musical entitled The Price of Freedom by Rob Gardner and McKane Davis. Now I love Rob’s music, as it has such a powerful effect as to draw me into the lives of those characters being portrayed. This musical is no different. It tells the story of several men, young men, who felt the call of God and country to go and fight for the freedoms being contested in the Second World War. The story that I’m thinking about is that of David and Arlene, a newlywed couple that is separated two weeks into their honeymoon by the call to arms. Since I have a penchant for messing up the mood, eradicating emotion, and spoiling the sentiment, I think I’ll let this pair tell their own tale.
Let’s see, Cinderella: Hold on a second… It says here that the earliest version of the story dates back to the 1st century BC… the girl didn’t like her stepmother. Okay, that jives. But it goes on to say that, before she was given the nickname Cinderella, she might have been named Sinisterella, as this charming, golden-haired beauty actually killed her stepmother so that her father might marry the housekeeper instead. But she wasn’t banking on the housekeeper’s six daughters moving in or that never-ending chore list. Yeah… that version won’t do.Let’s fast forward a millennium, give or take a few centuries. The Grimm brothers version… this ought to be good. Let’s see… the ball, the glass slipper, some friendly birds… now we’re on to something. The prince arrives at the home of the ugly stepmother… the first stepsister tries on the slipper… so far so good… and then the stepsister cuts off part of her heal to get the slipper to fit, the prince sweeps her off her feet, carries her to his carriage, and they drive off into the sunset… but those friendly birds intervene by calling the prince’s attention to the blood dripping from the slipper… uh… let’s skip that part… the prince returns to the farmstead and the second sister tries the same trick… this girl, too, is ratted out by the birds, and the prince returns one last time… he recognizes Cinderella, whose foot does fit the slipper and the two ride off to live happily ever after. As a punishment for their trickery, the birds end up pecking out the eyes of the stepsisters… uh, let’s skip that part, too, and just summarize by saying that these girls don’t live quite so happily ever after.
Whew! That was a doozy! Maybe we can do better than Cinderella. Let’s try The Little Mermaid. My sisters loved that one. And this one is Hans Christian Andersen who cranked out The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and The Emperor’s New Clothes… this one ought to be fine. Let’s see… girl meets boy… girl can’t have boy because he’s human and she’s half-fish… she drinks a potion that allows her come on to land to be with the handsome prince but has the annoying side-effect of making her feel like she is walking on knives at all times… girl learns that the prince of her dreams has just married some other girl… girl’s mer-sisters offer her a knife with which to stab the prince to death… girl decides to be a martyr and throws herself into the sea where her body dissolves into sea foam.Wow! We’re really doing badly here! There’s got to be some romantic gold here. I just have to look harder.
Snow White: the evil queen wanted Snow’s heart… we know that… but she planned on doing WHAT with it? Fast-forwarding to the handsome prince’s rescue… Let’s see… No kiss?!?... I guess I can’t blame him for not kissing the maiden… I wouldn’t want to kiss a corpse, either… but why did he carry her body back to her castle?… and I guess the romance is lost when the kiss of a prince doesn’t awaken the lass but rather the jostling of the horse that shakes loose that bit of poisonous apple.
Rapunzel: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair”… This has got to be a winner!... When the imposter mother learns of the wandering prince that has secretly been courting her tower-bound prisoner, she chops off the girl’s hair, banishes her to a nearby desert, and waits for the prince to return. When the prince climbs the stolen tresses and comes face to face with the angry sorceress, he leaps from the tower in fear and despair at having lost his love and lands in a thorn bush. The hero is blinded by the thorns that pierce his eyes and he wanders aimlessly through the land. Eventually, he stumbles his way into the desert and is reunited with his love after being drawn to her singing. Her tears of joy heal the sightless prince and they do live happily ever after.Sleeping Beauty: on second thought, let’s not even go there!
Although the boy does get the girl in several of these tales, I’m feeling more icky than mushy. At this point, maybe I could outdo the Brothers Grimm or even Hans himself in writing an endearing tale of love. And that’s not saying much! I think I’ll stick to formulaic Disney from here on out. Who cares about romantic depth? But there has to be something I can draw upon for inspiration on how to express my deep love for my love.
Hold on, I think I’ve got it. Chick flick purists might scoff at my choice of inspiration, but it’ll have to do. After-all, the blockbuster movie Pearl Harbor was able to bring guys and girls together by combining mush with war action. I’m thinking of a musical entitled The Price of Freedom by Rob Gardner and McKane Davis. Now I love Rob’s music, as it has such a powerful effect as to draw me into the lives of those characters being portrayed. This musical is no different. It tells the story of several men, young men, who felt the call of God and country to go and fight for the freedoms being contested in the Second World War. The story that I’m thinking about is that of David and Arlene, a newlywed couple that is separated two weeks into their honeymoon by the call to arms. Since I have a penchant for messing up the mood, eradicating emotion, and spoiling the sentiment, I think I’ll let this pair tell their own tale.
Arlene: In February of 1942, the love of my life went off to war. We’d been married only two weeks, and yet I could not imagine my life without him.David: When this you see remember me, though far apart we now must be, when I am where you cannot be, far away on the battlefield.
Arlene: He gave me his grandfather’s pocket watch and told me to keep it close to me. It would be a reminder of the time when we could see each other again. As he held me, I remember thinking that my heart would burst. Oh how we loved each other! Then he stepped on the train, my husband a soldier, off to fight a war in a land neither of us had ever seen before, a war we did not start but were called upon to finish. I was so afraid! And I missed him already!
*****
Arlene: My Dearest David, if your reaction to this news is anything like mine, perhaps you should sit down before reading on. David, you’re going to be a father! Can you believe it? We’re going to have a baby! But don’t worry about me – I’m fine. Just take care of yourself and do come home.
David:
I should be there, I should be with her.
She’ll be afraid, she’ll be alone.
Oh Darling pray that I come home,
And I swear that I will be there.
Arlene:
Can I do this on my own while you are miles away?
I never thought I‘d be alone when I dreamed about this day.
Could it be somehow you’ll know, though you’re miles across the sea?
Must you be so far away when I need you here with me?
Could I raise him on my own if by chance you don’t return?
Could I give him all he needs and teach him all he needs to learn?
Does our sacrifice mean more if our child suffers too?
Can I do this on my own? Can I do this without you?
You must promise you’ll come home. I can’t do this without you!
*****
Arlene:
Dear darling, I have news to tell you. Today was born our little joy.
Yes, my love, you are a father. We have a son, a baby boy!
I wish that you could see his smile.
David: I have a son, I am a father!
Arlene: He has his father’s big blue eyes.
David: I wish that I could see my boy.
Arlene: I hope he’ll be just like his father.
David: I hope he’ll know how much I love him.
Arlene: I pray that God will hear my cry!
David: Oh God, please hear my cry!
*****
I should be there, I should be with her.
She’ll be afraid, she’ll be alone.
Oh Darling pray that I come home,
And I swear that I will be there.
Arlene:
Can I do this on my own while you are miles away?
I never thought I‘d be alone when I dreamed about this day.
Could it be somehow you’ll know, though you’re miles across the sea?
Must you be so far away when I need you here with me?
Could I raise him on my own if by chance you don’t return?
Could I give him all he needs and teach him all he needs to learn?
Does our sacrifice mean more if our child suffers too?
Can I do this on my own? Can I do this without you?
You must promise you’ll come home. I can’t do this without you!
*****
Arlene:Dear darling, I have news to tell you. Today was born our little joy.
Yes, my love, you are a father. We have a son, a baby boy!
I wish that you could see his smile.
David: I have a son, I am a father!
Arlene: He has his father’s big blue eyes.
David: I wish that I could see my boy.
Arlene: I hope he’ll be just like his father.
David: I hope he’ll know how much I love him.
Arlene: I pray that God will hear my cry!
David: Oh God, please hear my cry!
*****
David: Arlene my dearest, it’s a miracle that I’m alive to write this letter. For now, know that I am safe, and that God alone has brought me safely thus far, of that I’m sure. Now darling, I love you. I think I can say that my love for you has been pretty well tested. Goodbye for awhile.
David:
We have packed a million parachutes. We rode them to the ground.
We’ve landed in the pitch of night afraid to make a sound.
We’ve bellied through the swamps and mud and snake infested brush.
For days we did not eat or drink and whispered in a hush.
There is one consolation. Gather round now as I tell,
When we die we’ll go to heaven, cause we’ve done our time in Hell.
We have walked through angry battlefields and heard the cannons roar.
We’ve crawled through bloody battlefields and watched the bullets soar.
While mother’s knelt and prayed at home to keep us safe from harm,
Their sons were dying in the fields cradled in our arms.
They have gone to meet their maker. We can hear the tolling bell.
They are on their way to heaven while we all remain in Hell.
When the final taps have sounded and we’ve laid aside our care,
We’ll stand at last inspection on the shiny golden stairs.
Then we’ll hear that soft reminder of the spirit whisper tell,
Be at ease young faithful soldier cause you’ve done your time in Hell.
*****
David:
I need to say before I see you, you may not know the man you find.
You see, my darling, war has changed me. The scenes are ghosts inside my mind.
I have to tell you, I won’t blame you if you can’t love me anymore.
I’ve done some things you can’t imagine. I’m not the man I was before.
But still I dream of you, and my love for you goes on.
And when I close my eyes I still hold you in my arms
Arlene:
My darling, fear has overcome me. Please promise me you will come home.
Sometimes I dream that you’re beside me, but then I wake to find you’re gone.
Our son has never known his father, sometimes I fear he never will.
Each day I think of all you give me. Each day I love you greater still.
Because of you, my life knew no more winter.
When you were here, the nighttime seemed as bright as day,
And in your arms I knew no fear at all
For you were there, and all my cares were gone.
David:
Because of you, I have a dream to hold to.
Because of you, I never fear I’m here alone
For you are there in everything I do.
I’ll make it home, and all because of you.
Because of you, I have a reason to go on
Though every breath I take reminds me that you’re gone.
Because of you, I have the strength to make it through
For when I close my eyes all I can see is you.
Arlene:
Because of you, the sun shone ever brighter.
Because of you, I rose to meet each breaking dawn.
It seemed as though my dreams had all come true,
Life was a dream, and all because of you,
Both:
Because of you, my life has found its meaning.
Because of you, I want for nothing more in life.
I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through.
(David) I’ll make it home, and all because of you
I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through
I will hold on, and all because of you.
*****
We have packed a million parachutes. We rode them to the ground.
We’ve landed in the pitch of night afraid to make a sound.
We’ve bellied through the swamps and mud and snake infested brush.
For days we did not eat or drink and whispered in a hush.
There is one consolation. Gather round now as I tell,
When we die we’ll go to heaven, cause we’ve done our time in Hell.
We have walked through angry battlefields and heard the cannons roar.We’ve crawled through bloody battlefields and watched the bullets soar.
While mother’s knelt and prayed at home to keep us safe from harm,
Their sons were dying in the fields cradled in our arms.
They have gone to meet their maker. We can hear the tolling bell.
They are on their way to heaven while we all remain in Hell.
When the final taps have sounded and we’ve laid aside our care,
We’ll stand at last inspection on the shiny golden stairs.
Then we’ll hear that soft reminder of the spirit whisper tell,
Be at ease young faithful soldier cause you’ve done your time in Hell.
*****
David:
I need to say before I see you, you may not know the man you find.
You see, my darling, war has changed me. The scenes are ghosts inside my mind.
I have to tell you, I won’t blame you if you can’t love me anymore.
I’ve done some things you can’t imagine. I’m not the man I was before.
But still I dream of you, and my love for you goes on.
And when I close my eyes I still hold you in my arms
Arlene:
My darling, fear has overcome me. Please promise me you will come home.
Sometimes I dream that you’re beside me, but then I wake to find you’re gone.
Our son has never known his father, sometimes I fear he never will.
Each day I think of all you give me. Each day I love you greater still.
Because of you, my life knew no more winter.
When you were here, the nighttime seemed as bright as day,
And in your arms I knew no fear at all
For you were there, and all my cares were gone.
David:
Because of you, I have a dream to hold to.
Because of you, I never fear I’m here alone
For you are there in everything I do.
I’ll make it home, and all because of you.
Because of you, I have a reason to go on
Though every breath I take reminds me that you’re gone.
Because of you, I have the strength to make it through
For when I close my eyes all I can see is you.
Arlene:
Because of you, the sun shone ever brighter.
Because of you, I rose to meet each breaking dawn.
It seemed as though my dreams had all come true,
Life was a dream, and all because of you,
Both:
Because of you, my life has found its meaning.
Because of you, I want for nothing more in life.
I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through.
(David) I’ll make it home, and all because of you
I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through
I will hold on, and all because of you.
*****
Now that is a love story that I can latch on to. Why? I certainly have no aspirations to go fight in a war, although I would answer the call of my God and my country. But hearing a love story like this, I pray that I never have to. Yesterday, my love gave birth to our little joy, a beautiful, baby boy. And, unlike David, I was able to stand beside her, holding her hand in mine, and to then hold that sweet angel of a child in my arms. Rather than me, off fighting some bloody war, it has been my sweetheart that has fought the good fight, a nine-month-long one with ups and down, joys and pains. And, as I’ve witnessed her strength and spirit, I’ve wondered, more than once, if she could have done it without me, all alone. That’s an easy one to answer, because my darling is strong beyond measure and full of the love of Christ. But I thank God that she didn’t have to. I had the privilege of standing by her side. And I still have that privilege, to join her in raising our three beautiful children. That is a true gift, the golden crown that makes me a king.
But, unfortunately, because of my humanity and my weaknesses, I’m not always there by her side. There are days when I, like David and the other paratroopers, am on my belly, crawling through swamps and mud in the pitch of night, too terrified to make a sound. As I traverse these angry battlefields, cannons roaring, bullets soaring, blood everywhere, I, like Nephi in the Book of Mormon, must ask myself, “Why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?”
As imperfect humans, we all have weaknesses, and we all need the atonement of Jesus Christ to bind up our war wounds, and to heal our infirmities. But my weaknesses seem so damning at times. They cause me, like Nephi, to say, “O wretched man that I am. Yeah, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”
As I yield to the natural man, I literally separate myself from my sweetheart and my beautiful children. I go off to fight a spiritual war that I can and will win. But, it’s one of my own making, and it’s up to me, to determine how far off V-S Day is. And, for me, this day will be celebrated far more loudly and widely than either V-E Day or V-J Day, for it won’t be the day in which my enemy surrenders. It will be the day in which I surrender, fully, my will to my Savior and allow Him to provide the true victory over Satan.
Then, when the final taps have sounded and I stand at last inspection on the shiny, golden stairs alongside my helpmate and my faithful children, we will all hear that soft reminder of the Spirit tell, “Be at ease young, faithful soldiers, cause you’ve done your time in Hell.”
Far from Hell, every minute I spend with my beloved and my family is truly a stolen glimpse of Heaven. I just have to choose to leave the battle and to join the Laudie ranks on the home front, as we fortify our defenses and stand ready to fight for our family, our liberties, and our God. Now that is a battle that is worth fighting.
So, as I leave the fight to other natural men, I, like David, turn my gaze homeward. And, yes, the scenes are ghosts inside my mind, there to remind me of where I’ve been and where I’m going. Like David, I have done some awful things, be those sins of commission or sins of omission. And I thank my God for repentance and the Atonement. And I thank my darling for forgiveness and for the hope of our eternal lives.
David and Arlene also had a mutual hope for their tender love. And they each sang about the role of their beloved in the safe and secure return home from the battle fray. Because of you, I have a dream to hold to; Because of you, I never fear I’m here alone; I have a reason to go on; I have the strength to make it through; my life has found its meaning; Because of you, I want for nothing more in life! I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through. I will hold on, and all because of you!
So now, my research complete, my inspiration found, I finally have the words to speak to my Valentine, my hope, my constant, and my best friend.
Lindsey, darling, because of you, I have learned who I am and who I can be. Because of you, I have the strongest desire to never again choose the natural man and leave your side to fight a war that I started, although one that I was called upon, by you, to finish. Because of you, I have three beautiful babies that bring such joy into my life! Because of you, I have a friend, a confidant, and a helpmate at all times. Because of you, I have a bright hope for the future and for the eternities. Because of you, I have grown strong and confident in my faith. Because of you, I know what Heaven looks like, and because of you, I don’t have to wait until death to visit it.
So maybe there is something to all of this romantic mush, as I find myself smiling and wiping a tear from my eye. How do I love thee? I’m not going to even try to count the ways, but I do love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life! – and if God (and we) choose, I shall but love thee better after death! (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
But, unfortunately, because of my humanity and my weaknesses, I’m not always there by her side. There are days when I, like David and the other paratroopers, am on my belly, crawling through swamps and mud in the pitch of night, too terrified to make a sound. As I traverse these angry battlefields, cannons roaring, bullets soaring, blood everywhere, I, like Nephi in the Book of Mormon, must ask myself, “Why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?”
As imperfect humans, we all have weaknesses, and we all need the atonement of Jesus Christ to bind up our war wounds, and to heal our infirmities. But my weaknesses seem so damning at times. They cause me, like Nephi, to say, “O wretched man that I am. Yeah, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”
As I yield to the natural man, I literally separate myself from my sweetheart and my beautiful children. I go off to fight a spiritual war that I can and will win. But, it’s one of my own making, and it’s up to me, to determine how far off V-S Day is. And, for me, this day will be celebrated far more loudly and widely than either V-E Day or V-J Day, for it won’t be the day in which my enemy surrenders. It will be the day in which I surrender, fully, my will to my Savior and allow Him to provide the true victory over Satan.
Then, when the final taps have sounded and I stand at last inspection on the shiny, golden stairs alongside my helpmate and my faithful children, we will all hear that soft reminder of the Spirit tell, “Be at ease young, faithful soldiers, cause you’ve done your time in Hell.”
Far from Hell, every minute I spend with my beloved and my family is truly a stolen glimpse of Heaven. I just have to choose to leave the battle and to join the Laudie ranks on the home front, as we fortify our defenses and stand ready to fight for our family, our liberties, and our God. Now that is a battle that is worth fighting.
So, as I leave the fight to other natural men, I, like David, turn my gaze homeward. And, yes, the scenes are ghosts inside my mind, there to remind me of where I’ve been and where I’m going. Like David, I have done some awful things, be those sins of commission or sins of omission. And I thank my God for repentance and the Atonement. And I thank my darling for forgiveness and for the hope of our eternal lives.
David and Arlene also had a mutual hope for their tender love. And they each sang about the role of their beloved in the safe and secure return home from the battle fray. Because of you, I have a dream to hold to; Because of you, I never fear I’m here alone; I have a reason to go on; I have the strength to make it through; my life has found its meaning; Because of you, I want for nothing more in life! I’ll find the strength to somehow see this through. I will hold on, and all because of you!
So now, my research complete, my inspiration found, I finally have the words to speak to my Valentine, my hope, my constant, and my best friend.
Lindsey, darling, because of you, I have learned who I am and who I can be. Because of you, I have the strongest desire to never again choose the natural man and leave your side to fight a war that I started, although one that I was called upon, by you, to finish. Because of you, I have three beautiful babies that bring such joy into my life! Because of you, I have a friend, a confidant, and a helpmate at all times. Because of you, I have a bright hope for the future and for the eternities. Because of you, I have grown strong and confident in my faith. Because of you, I know what Heaven looks like, and because of you, I don’t have to wait until death to visit it.So maybe there is something to all of this romantic mush, as I find myself smiling and wiping a tear from my eye. How do I love thee? I’m not going to even try to count the ways, but I do love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life! – and if God (and we) choose, I shall but love thee better after death! (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
