T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
T o be honest, on a romantic desire scale of fairy-tale-prince-on-a-white-horse being the most romantic and hey-you-wanna-do-this-or- not being the least romantic, I fall somewhere around the thoughtful-words-and-practical-gifts-on-a- regular-basis part of the spectrum. I’m a little cat-like when it comes to romance. When I want it, I want it, but when I’m done, that is enough, and I need to go back to my own non-gooey-sentiment corner. However, I see the intrinsic value of romance in dating and marriage relationships. It opens the door for emotional love to be felt so that actual love can be given. And let’s be real, the giving of the sacrificial day-in-day- out love that is required to make a dating or marriage relationship worth having is hard work. So, a little WD- Romance on the ole love hinges is necessary to keep the squeak of resentment out of the relationship. I still remember how I felt during mine and Ross’ courtship. There were random, thoughtful gifts out of the blue, sweet notes, long AOL Instant Messenger conversations when our calling card minutes ran out and forced us off the landlines in our dorm rooms (we were a 2000s romance for sure, #napsterromanticsongsmix01), lots of compliments on smell and appearance and heart- melting looks into each other’s eyes that lasted for at least 10.27 seconds. All these things made me feel like I was walking on air. I loved it! Those things eased the pain of dating long distance for almost two years. One time, Ross even mailed me a card with little Sweet ’N Low packets taped to the inside and a note saying how thoughts of me were so sweet. He scored major brownie points with this diabetic for that little nugget! I died! But the overarching achievement of all his efforts was that he made me feel thought of, cared about and desired. I feel I can speak expertly from the female point of view on the value of these things since I have been a female for over forty years. A woman who feels like she is seen for who she is and is desired just as she is, carries herself with a confidence and dignity that is both intoxicating and illuminating. Now, it’s not that she is deriving her value from these romantic gestures, or the lack there-of, but she is reminded of exactly how valuable she is causing her actions and deeds to reflect that God-given value. Today, especially in the dating/relationship world, I believe the artistry of romantically pursuant behavior from a male to a female has not only virtually disappeared but has also been demonized. Now, do not misunderstand me. I’m not talking about sexually pursuant behavior. I’m talking about a guy calling a girl and asking her to go out to dinner or to a movie or a special event. I’m talking about a boy summing up all his courage and walking up to a specific girl he likes and asking her to a school dance face to face. I’m talking about old school romance!
A SARINE THOUGHT… OR TWO COLUMN BY EMI LY SARINE How Sweet ’N Low It Is!
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L I F E & S T Y L E
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