The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

Romeo and Juliet is not the greatest love story ever told.

In fact, it is not a love story at all.

I had an experience in University where the topic of Romeo and Juliet came up. It was not an English class. I stated my opinion that Romeo and Juliet is not a love story at all. I was immediately bombarded with denial from the majority of the room, one girl in particular telling me that Romeo and Juliet was the greatest love story ever because they died for each other. The Professor told me I obviously had no idea what love was. As I was engaged to my now husband at the time, I took offense, but decided to remain silent as he moved the class on.

I still stand in my opinion. Romeo and Juliet is not a story of love. It is a story of passion.

Don’t get me wrong, there needs to be passion in love. Keeping the spark in a relationship is important. But just because there is lots of passion and emotions does not mean that it is truly love.

The girl in class stated that Romeo and Juliet was the best love story because they died for one another. I don’t find this reasoning to be sound. Dying for one another is not the greatest testament to love. Dying is a moment at the end of a life. Just a moment. A decision made, in their case. That is not love.

Love is LIVING for each other. Living each day for the other person. To make them laugh and see them smile. Love is getting through the hard times. Not just one moment at the end, but all the moments in the middle. It is the struggle of misunderstanding and communication. It is the dinner of a can of chili because you can’t afford anything else. It is letting the other person cry while there is nothing you can do but hold them. It is wanting to endure their pain for or with them so they don’t have to suffer. It is sleepless nights. It is talking for hours about nothing and everything. It is taking a walk in the rain because that is the only time you will have together all day. It is finding the passion after it has been lost in bills and laundry. It is living those moments together through time. That, to me, is love in a way Romeo and Juliet never reached. They had the passion, but never the love.

Today the world sees death as romantic. I cannot count the number of times I have heard of a story of one person dying so their lover kills themselves to be with them. How many times does the hero of a story take the bullet for the other, and that sacrifice is the proof of love?

Why can’t the sacrifice being looking forward to a piece of pie all day long, through a bad day at work and a cranky call from the in laws and the dog ate his favorite tie? He wants the pie all day, and that is what gets him through. He gets home, pulls out the pie, fork at the ready. Then his love comes in the door looking gloomy, but not saying much, giving him a tired smile. He then grins and hands over the fork. That is love. A moment built into a life of moments. Living for love.

Smile Always.