I Believe in Love

They were true love, written in stone;
They were never alone,
They were never that far apart.

— James Taylor, "Never Die Young"

A couple of friends are falling in love with each other and I'm so happy about it that I can hardly sit still.

I believe in love. I believe in good things happening to people. I believe these things need to be encouraged and celebrated at every opportunity. I believe we need to help these things happen whenever we can, especially because it often costs very little to bring someone a little happiness.

The Christmas season is coming up. It's my favorite season for so many reasons, not the least of which is that people are generally a little bit kinder to one another as they go about their business. In a time when the weather is turning colder and arriving safely — by car or by foot — is a crap shoot when everything is icy, this little bit more kindness helps all of us get through.

And those people who are in love are the best of all: They are so optimistic that even a snowstorm is just another opportunity to snuggle up together.

My husband and I are long past the "new love" stage, but we're still in love. We don't always feel it — real life gets in the way and it's hard to feel particularly romantic when you're changing the cat litter or shoveling snow or dealing with the overflowing garbage bin — but feeling it isn't always necessary when you know it's still there, just like drawing breath. When you know it's there, you don't worry about when you'll feel it next.

For all of my friends, married and not married, I pray for such great love in their lives that they never before imagined they could be so happy. And I pray it lasts forever.