“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...”
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,
I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
 When we think of love, we automatically think - romance – the one can simply not live without the other.
They say that love or romance should be a natural extension of oneself. If you truly love someone, you ought to display in a most noticeable way. It is that yearning deep inside to show that special someone unquestionably, how much they mean to you.
Over the last few decades love and romance has been created to be a very “girly” idea. But many years ago, men were the romantics. Jane Austen wrote six novels, her most famous being Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. In these novels, a must read for any one trying to recapture a little bit of romance in their lives, she touched on so many aspects of love and the novelty of courtship.
Men were chivalrous, gallant and dapper. Ladies were the epitome of feminine, prettiness and of course elegance. Men were not ashamed to show affection and ladies were open to embrace courtship in all its pageantry. There was nothing more important than being able to romance a beautiful lady or to be courted by the most handsome gentlemen. Walking and picking flowers in the fields was a common “outing”, sitting for a painting was another. Notes were written expressing love and desires, letters were sent asking for acceptance of marriage. Looks were given over the dinner table at parties, which meant possibly a beginning of a courtship and dancing was a favourite past time.
Nowadays, we don’t pick enough flowers from the fields and we don’t write letters or notes. In more recent years, romance seems to be a bit taboo. No one takes the time, it’s far too much of an effort to write a letter, when one can merely send an sms, but, yet, that written letter would have created more of an impact.
There is the age old saying “love never dies, it merely fades away”, but should love be allowed to just fade away? Was it not heavenly to find? If so, why is it so easy to let go? Love lives in many aspects of our life, from being a husband, wife, father, mother, friend, lover, brother or sister.
What brought you together as lovers? Was it the prettiness of her eyes, the handsomeness of his face? Was it her gentleness or maybe his chivalry that made you first notice each other? Do you remember the first time you touched or that first kiss? Was there a flock of butterflies that took over your entire body and transported you somewhere else? Does it bring a smile to your face when you think of it now? If it does, hold that smile, keep it close and never forget to remember.
So, write that love letter to him telling him that he is your Mr Darcy in your life, pick that single flower from the garden and leave it on her pillow. Most of all - take time - spend time together, whenever possible, a hug in the kitchen, a kiss goodnight or just a smile across the dinner table.
At Forum Homini we are keeping love alive. Romance is embedded into our packages, be it for an intimate wedding, a renewal of vows or a romantic weekend with a loved one. We have tailor-made packages, especially during our winter months, for the lovers with nothing less than flawless romance in mind.
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