Act One
I adore literature. My mom used to say that she only recognized me by the top of my head because of the time spent engrossed in a book. If you ask me what book is my favorite, I will have a hard time choosing. There’s the one that makes me cry with each read. But then there’s the one that makes me laugh out loud every time. My gauge depends on how the writing engaged my heart.
“I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.”
James Michener
What about you?
How many times have you sung along with a love song, wondering how they knew just how you felt? Found a poem that spoke your heart? Composed a letter that captured your thoughts in just the right way? Devoured a book, marveling that the writer described your experience precisely? Writing that moves us reflects what it really means to be human in this world.
“The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain
and goes straight to the heart.”
Maya Angelou
But have you tried to write that poignant poem? Attempted to capture your experience so readers will understand? Watched the words fall into place? Know that phrase is just right?
“The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean;
not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
Yet, the beauty of writing is that it is possible to capture that common ground.
Act Two
A true love story that haunts me…
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The doctor slowly entered the office, reserved and solemn. “Your wife will not be getting better,” he said. The young husband sat still, taking in the news. “She’ll be able to walk around, but she’ll never be independent again. She won’t regain her speech…or her personality…or her memories.”
Only ten years into their marriage, this woman developed a sudden medical condition that robbed her of herself. She would require constant care for the rest of her life but remain inert, unresponsive, a mere shadow of the person he loved dearly.
His family said, “Institutionalize her. You won’t have a life otherwise.” He did not.
His friends said, “Divorce her. You’ll be financially devastated otherwise.” He would not.
Thirty-five years later, he still is married to her, shouldering the burden of her care. She cannot speak…has not regained her personality…and does not remember him.
His friends say, “Why do you continue to do this? She doesn’t know you.”
He quietly replies, full of tenderness, “But…I know her.”
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Happy Valentine’s Day
( all quotes from http://www.brainyquote.com)