Pages

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wandering thoughts

Some of my friends and I were discussing true love as a theme today in some famous literary works; for example, Shakespeare's beloved Romeo and Juliet - and wondering whether such a thing as true love really exists in this world or not. 

Being an utterly hopeless romantic, I'd love to believe that such a thing as powerful and binding as true love is out there in the world, though difficult it may be to find, but modern-day realism unfortunately cuts in sometimes to shatter my blissful fantasies. With my young years, I have no idea what true love really is so obviously I wonder often: does it truly exist? Can there be such a thing that unites two hearts and souls completely, and makes a person half of the other, and only together they are one? Can a person love another so deeply and permanently that he or she would be willing to make sacrifices for the significant other? I come from a country with a culture of "arranged" marriages (and I put that in quotes because except for in some of the truly rural villages, they're not really arranged anymore, but the parents or the girl seek out a boy they like, the two families meet and voila the wedding bells soon ring). But notice I said like not love. Sure, a married couple can live happily together and be compatible and have children and grow old together, but do they truly and wholeheartedly love each other? Now, of course I'm not speaking for everyone, but there are some married couples out there who appreciate each other, like each other, know each other well as friends, but do they truly love each other?  And I mean love in the sense of the intense, passionate, and so-over-the-top-it-fills-your-mind-with-nothing-else kind of love. In simpler words, the fairy tale kind. 

So what do you guys think? Is there such a thing? And if so, then how do you know when you've found The One?

I didn't mean to get too deep into this, but I've been wondering now for a few days after that discussion with my friends (I swear it was solely related to American literature) so I just had to get it out of my system. And especially since the divorce rates are so high nowadays. According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, 50% of first marriages end up in divorce. As a Muslim, we believe God's words when He said in the Qur'an (our holy text) that He has made us out of the rib of our partner (although this is not able to be genetically tested, and whoever that partner shall be will be the one a person is destined for. So what if a couple marries because they thought they loved each other, only a few years later find they couldn't get along and divorced? Did they think it was love at first, only to find out later on that it wasn't? But if it was real true love, then it would've lasted, wouldn't it? And does it also mean then that that couple wasn't meant for each other, according to the holy verses?      

4 comments:

  1. Whoa...I did not know it said that in the Qur'an. Holy shiz! That's so cool!

    I'd give you my perspectives on this topic, but we've already shared a long and deep discussion on this on that sleepover last weekend or whatever. (Was it last weekend? I don't even know...)

    -Your faaaaaavorite cuz :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, it was not last weekend, it was the weekend before. But you were close.

    Who said you were my favorite cuz?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I said I was your favorite cuz. I think that should be enough.

    :P

    ReplyDelete
  4. No, it's not, because you don't count. Somebody else has to say it.

    ReplyDelete

Did you hear that? It's the sound of the keyboard being abused. It's a skill every writer/blogger needs to know. If you don't know it, go back to high school. Ohhh....wait. They don't teach you that in high school. Darn it. What ARE they teaching kids these days? Anyway, just leave a comment, and remember next to abuse your keyboard, because it's there to feel your rambling fingers.