Life Makes Love Look Hard.

Anyone who frequents Pinterest very often at all has probably seen this image floating around. I've seen it for a few days, but hadn't actually clicked on it to pursue the details behind the idea; mostly because my initial thoughts were, "Aw, that's cute. I'm not married. I'll pin this quickie boston cream pie recipe instead..." 

Ha. Problem #1: DeeAura. 

Anyway...I finally clicked on it this morning, and you know what? This might be one of my favorite "pins" ever. Just reading it almost made me teary-eyed. (Reiteration: I said ALMOST.) 

{10 things} That Have Made All the Difference

(I know, I know. I'm writing a post like this, and it's inspired by a pin on Pinterest. Haha. Let's look past that, okay? Cool.)

In a world so full of evil and darkness, (I swear facebook and the news is flooded with details of the most recent horrific act by someone in our world...and I refuse to even write his name on my blog, as my anger toward his deeds is intense,) it's like a healing balm to my soul to read this couple's beautifully uplifting goals and aspirations to be better and love so much more.

I may not be married, but I've done my fair share of dating (cough) and I come from a family of 10. I've had more roommates than I care to count. (I stopped counting when it go to 65ish, and that was a few years ago. WHEW.) I know relationships take work every single day...they take all our patience at times, and they have their ups and downs. I've discovered the ones that last are the ones we invest our whole selves into, and are open to the painful changes that usually come with that whole process. You're likely to discover things about yourself you don't like. That's...really fun. :) Family, friendships, marriages...these are so much more important than anything else I have ever pursued. So why shouldn't they have the most foolproof plan of all?

One of my favorite dating lessons I've ever learned was in Alma 32. My darling friend and her husband suggested it to me as we visited one sad night when my dating relationship at the time was...struggling. I was so worried, and couldn't think of a thing more I could have done, or could do, and I was so fearful of what the future might bring. If this wasn't working, and I was doing everything I could...it would probably never work, right?

I started at about verse 25 and read to the end, using the seed as my relationship(s). I realize some of you out there probably knew about this beautiful passage of scripture in relation to dating before, but I had never considered the possibility that it might be talking about something other than my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have to tell you simply: That was the most healing thing I could have read to help me through that inevitable break-up, and the months that followed. I vowed then and there I would not lose hope because somewhere out there, there would be someone who wanted to work on all of those things with me. That I wasn't supposed to do it all alone. It's something I'll never forget, and I hadn't come across something quite as inspiring on the subject until I came across this creative couple, who clearly love life and each other. It's not hard to see why when you look at their goals.

Maybe this mental musing was mostly just for me. Ahem. :) I get tired of the effort of relationships sometimes...new ones AND old ones. That's not to say I don't love every single relationship I've ever had...at least on some level. ;) But every now and again the thought comes to my mind that maybe it's just easier not to date. I'm cool with my life the way it is.

But then I read Alma 32, or this surprisingly...not...annoyingly perfect blog post by this couple and I realize there's more to it than that. * sigh * And I want it. You know, all in good time...I'm the girl who usually needs a good year or two between real dating relationships. I know. Emotional pansy here. ;)

Love is 1000% worth every effort it takes. I do know that. So let's just make sure you and I don't lose hope in its worth...even if the details along the way sometimes might make your brain and heart feel like scrambled eggs. Burnt ones. :)