Love shapes who you are in many ways. Its presence or absence in our youth impacts our adulthood, which impacts our future generations; the cycle has to be restarted somewhere.
Those are the things we really seek in one another: As kids, we seek those who enjoy the same games and define fun the same way we do. As we get a bit older and our childhoods are robbed - all childhoods are robbed or broken; it is usually a sudden, violent transformation - we seek out those who relate to our transition. As teenagers, we rebel and we attempt to create a new reality. As young adults, we look to recapture it all and find the person who can relate to all of it, and we add a shade of shallowness to it. As adults, we come to the realization that we have been trying to recapture the simplicity of the purest form of love - happy love. We look for someone who can pull us out of the darkness of adulthood and ignite the simple, childish joys of life.
I will enforce rules that teach you all about chivalry and being a fair lover. I want you to do better than I did, and better than your gedo. I wish for you to be a good lister like Baba and do both the small and big things for your partner—he exemplified just that with Mama, every day. I wish for you to be able to express yourself openly, freely, and, most importantly, with respect for those on the receiving end.
And the most important thing I wish for you to know is this: Love is the soul of life. I would say it is the fuel of life, but fuel runs out, and love doesn't.
You are my only prize; the kids are a bonus.' Baba had a way of reassuring Mama of how much she meant to him. Their love story inspired all of us; they exemplified everything that was beautiful about marriage. They worked together as a team, they complemented one another. The sacrifices were many, but they never kept count.
No,' Nora said, almost in a whisper. 'It's because -' she looked carefully for the words - 'you didn't stare at me. I saw you blush, and you immediately lowered your eyes. And I should have been embarrassed, ashamed... but I, I just felt safe, and I stood there unafraid.' She closed her eyes, taking in all the feelings of gratitude she had for that moment. 'That's when I knew I could trust you in a way that I didn't know was possible.