Love story, a romance for the ages

Deep down, I think everyone appreciates a good love story. It's the ultimate tale of reward, answered prayers, and desperate hope. Sappy or honest, sweet or cutting, passionate or philosophical, love stories dig to the heart in a way no other story can. I believe it's because we were made to love and without it there is a huge hole within that screams for attention. Love stories briefly fill that void.

The wonderful thing about love stories is that they don't have to be passionate, sloppy, kissy, things. It could be as simple as the love of a pet bringing comfort and hope to a patient with cancer. Or, the cross-generational love of parents for their children. Then, of course, there's love between partners in life--which is likely what we think of first when we consider love stories.

Speaking from personal experience, the vastness of love is spellbinding. It's hard to pin down just what it is that love makes me feel, but it's a warmth of soul that eases the many panics of life. Reading a quality love story lifts me to a warm and fuzzy place where everything is alright and nothing can go wrong, and even if something did happen it would be okay. Love is a strangely empowering emotion while it also makes us weak at the knees in the presence of our adored. My wife steals my complete attention with a touch (to the great amusement of our children) and I think she secretly enjoys knowing she can.

Common writing advice is to write what you know. Love stories are a common language we all share. If you are interested in writing, I'd suggest starting there. Grab hold of the many threads in your life and pick out the strongest ones, then set those to paper. The story writes itself, and I bet you'll be surprised how powerful that story is already.

- M